Storylist for week of 4/17/06

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• Give it up for Lent


• Give it up for Lent

• Easter play at UMHB

• ABP & Standard form strategic alliance

• Hispanics called to pray about immigration

• Missouri Baptists link with WorldconneX

• Christian Women's Job Corps expands to Mexico

• PanFork Camp geared to grow

• Casinos not the solution for school financing

• Members join pastor on 1,000-mile walk

• On the Move

• Around the State

• Texas Tidbits


Christian Life Commission meeting
• Healthcare crisis can be alleviated with church help

• Small groups can influence public policy

• Listen to the ‘deep cry' of ‘off-pitch' people

• Subtle racism exists, researcher says

• Global warming poses ‘severe' threat

Previously Posted
• Evangelical groups voice support for immigration reform

• Jesus' agenda demands justice for immigrants, Reyes says

• Encampments shaped life of Sabine Creek manager

• Builder finds his life's purpose at Camp Buckner

• WMU sets $5.1 million offering goal

• Providential connections speed church-planting in Mexico

• Carter gathers diverse Baptist leaders


• Baptist Briefs


• Organ donor provides gift of life to fellow minister


• Rwandan genocide survivor finds freedom in forgiveness

• Persecution of Christians not limited to Afghanistan

• Church group focuses on fighting poverty

• Compromise immigration reform legislation stalls in Senate

• Judas got a bum rap, scholars say


• In this issue: American Theocracy: The Peril and Politics of Radical Religion, Oil, and Borrowed Money in the 21st Century By Kevin Phillips; Frederick Buechner honored.


• Cartoon

• Classified Ads

• Texas Baptist Forum

• On the Move


• EDITORIAL: Two steps to change Texas for better

• DOWN HOME: Season of hope, grass & pin oaks

• TOGETHER: 'Scandalous' cross really is good news

• 2nd Opinion: Biblical Gospels repudiate Judas

• RIGHT OR WRONG? Buying a 'replica' watch

• Texas Baptist Forum

• Cybercolumn by Jeanie Miley: Praying when you don't know what to pray

• Cybercolumn by Berry Simpson: Looking through lenses


• BaptistWay Bible Series for Easter: Believing in the resurrected Jesus

• BaptistWay Bible Series for April 16: God's penetrating gaze reveals the heart

• Family Bible Series for April 16: Celebrate the resurrection of Christ

• Explore the Bible Series for April 16: Live a life filled with resurrection power

• BaptistWay Bible Series for April 23: Beware the green-eyed monster

• Family Bible Series for April 23: Preparation for life's mission is essential

• Explore the Bible Series for April 23: Effectiveness often necessitates change


See articles from previous issue 4/03/06 here.

Posted: 4/13/06

CYBER COLUMN:
Looking through lenses

By Berry Simpson

Nowadays, one of our favorite fall-back movies—that is, movies on DVD that Cyndi and I watch again and again while doing other things, like grading papers or writing journals or playing Soduko on the internet—is National Treasure. In the movie, the lead character, Ben Gates, uses Benjamin Franklin’s secret spectacles to read treasure clues written on the back of the Declaration of Independence. The specs have several movable lenses, each a different color, and it takes multiple combinations of all the lenses to read every clue. He can’t see all the clues he needs until he looks through every one of the lenses.

Berry D. Simpson

People are like that. In order to know someone well, you have to see them in all their different ways. You have to spend time with them, talking and asking questions and listening to their stories. But even conversation goes only so far. We can all think of people we’ve worked with for years, people we’ve talked with for years, and yet we really don’t know so much about them. Often, we’re surprised to learn they love to paint, or they are trained musicians, or widely known and respected outside their workaday lives. In order to really know someone, you have to be with them in all the things they do. You have to see their lives through every available lens.

For example, if you want to know Cyndi, my loving wife who has dedicated her life to making me a happy man, you’re going to have to talk to her about teaching and computers and multimedia and her family and her children, about God and his peace in her life, and about music. You’ll also need to talk to her about me. But talking will only get you so far; you’ll never know Cyndi well unless you watch her dance, watch her teach dancing, watch her run, watch her race, be in one of her exercise classes. In other words, you’ll have to watch her move. Those are the times when she’s boldest and bravest and takes the biggest risks.

Knowing God is similar.

We can never really know God, or have a deep relationship with God, by using only one lens. We have to see him in all his ways. We have to read his word, over and over, and converse with him in prayer and meditation. We must learn about him from other believers, for each of us in our uniqueness reveals different aspects of God’s character. We must experience him in his world, in creation, in nature, to see his boldness and courage and when he is risky.

One of the ways I have learned to see God is by celebrating the Lord’s Supper—Communion. This particular lens has grown more and more important to me as I’ve gotten older, and especially since I’ve been allowed to help serve as a deacon. In my church, we participate in the Lord’s Supper together, the entire church body, simultaneously, as a public statement that we are in this together and we need the whole body of believers to survive and sustain in this world. To me, it shows the “come be one of us” side of God.

Sometimes, I get to vary the technique a bit and take Communion in a different way. The believers come to the altar one at a time, as individuals, and take the bread and drink alone in contemplation with God. It shows me the “individual nature of salvation” of God.

I also see God through music, especially when I get to play or sing. A few weeks ago, they even let me play my harmonica during Sunday morning worship, and I had a great time. I thought, maybe we need more blues music in church. David certainly saw God by singing blues all through the Psalms.

But mostly, music shows the joyful side of God. Sometimes, singing about his love just lifts my heart up an over the room and opens my eyes to the “isn’t this great” side of God.

I also see God while I am teaching. I don’t really know what I know until I teach it, or until I write about it. So, teaching brings me to the “deep insight” nature of God, a place I don’t get to any other way.

To be honest, I am still working through this multiple-lens idea. I have many God-viewing lenses in my life, such as reading, friends, movies, hiking and solitude, and it’s hard to which are more important.

How about you? What are the lenses through which you see God? Which have become more important recently?

Berry Simpson, a Sunday school teacher at First Baptist Church in Midland, is a petroleum engineer, writer, runner and member of the city council in Midland. You can contact him through e-mail at berry@stonefoot.org.

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.

Posted: 4/13/06

RIGHT OR WRONG?
Buying a 'replica' watch

I received an e-mail from a company that sells “replicas” of famous brand-name watches. They sell a watch for about $200 that would cost many times more if it were the “original.” I’d like to buy one. What do you think?

Some issues are fairly straightforward. A business professor here at East Texas Baptist University tells me businesses lose billions of dollars a year through copyright and trademark infringement. Plain and simple—buying “replicas” of brand-name watches contributes to the worldwide problems of theft and piracy.

“Thou shalt not steal” pretty much covers that.

It often occurs, though, that some issues we raise are only the tip of the moral iceberg. That was so when a man approached Jesus and said, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me” (Luke 12:13). Jesus’ response bypasses the obvious issue and targets something evidently more significant: “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions” (12:15). While the distribution of family inheritance is important, Jesus is concerned more to challenge the underlying matters of greed and a distorted sense of what life is all about.

It seems to me that the “replica” question is not just about trademark violations. The question betrays confusion about what matters in life and what counts for true fulfillment. We live in a world that measures meaning in terms of what dollars can buy. At the same time, we live in a world that teaches us (through advertising) never to be satisfied. So we buy more stuff. We work more so we can buy more so we can appear to others and ourselves to have lives that are counted as worthwhile. Can Chris-tians fall into this trap?

Sociologist Robert Wuthnow, in his book God and Mammon, speaks of “the ambiguous impact” of religious belief on economic behavior in our society. On the basis of survey data, he concludes: “When we are influenced by our faith, we are more likely to say we feel better about what we do than to do anything differently. We do not look to the churches to tell us what career to pursue or what purchases to make but to tell us that whatever choices we have made are OK. Our spirituality is little more than a therapeutic device. … We have domesticated the sacred and stripped it of authoritative wisdom by looking to it only to make us happy.”

Jesus’ words do not intend to make us happy, but holy, and they challenge both the incontinent heart (“greed” is pleonexia in Greek, which simply means “have more”) as well as the corrupt notion that life can be measured in terms of possessions. To free us from such errors, Jesus reminds us that defining life in terms of accumulation is a dead-end street and is the opposite of the simple life that trusts in God’s provision and puts God’s will first (12:16-31).

I honestly do not know what it is like to run in circles where executive-class clothes, watches and cars are the stuff of everyday life. Maybe Jesus’ words show that world for what it is. To buy a “replica” watch to seek to impress that sort of world is to compound the superficial with the superficial. Perhaps this sounds a bit harsh, but so does Jesus’ double-warning: “Beware, and be on your guard.”

Jeph Holloway, professor of religion

East Texas Baptist University

Marshall

Right or Wrong? is sponsored by the T.B. Maston Chair of Christian Ethics at Hardin-Simmons University’s Logsdon School of Theology. Send your questions about how to apply your faith to btillman@hsutx.edu.

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.

Posted: 4/11/06

BaptistWay Bible Series for April 23

Beware the green-eyed monster

• 1 Samuel 18:1-16

By Joseph Matos

Dallas Baptist University, Dallas

Admit it. We have all been jealous of someone at some time. Our best friend gets the girl (or guy). Our coworker gets the big promotion. Our seminary classmate gets the church. Generally our jealousy stems from someone having what we believe rightfully is ours. 1 Samuel 18 describes the jealousy of Saul toward David. How could a king be jealous of a shepherd boy?

What did David have that Saul didn’t?

1 Samuel 16 ended with David finding favor with Saul and being hired to his staff full time. In the next chapter, David defeated the mighty Philistine Goliath. Saul’s favor toward David only grew. But in chapter 18, Saul’s pleasure with David quickly degenerated into jealousy.

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The first four verses describe how the friendship between Jonathan and David was forged. Though David would later marry Saul’s daughter, Michal, it is with Jonathan that he became “one in spirit” (v. 1).

Other indicators of Jonathan’s devotion to David include the covenant he made with David, his attitude toward David (“he loved him as himself,” v. 3) and his handing over his robe, tunic, sword, bow and belt (v. 4). This could be interpreted either as Jonathan’s recognizing David as successor to the king or his acknowledgment that David was the greater warrior.

Regardless, one thing is clear; Jonathan accepted David. And in ensuing passages, Jonathan would follow through on his loyalty to David.

Verse 5 appears to suggest Saul had great confidence in David, as well. For he continued to give David responsibilities in the military, and with success after success, Saul continued to advance David in rank. The people, and Saul’s officers, were pleased with this action. But Saul would not always be pleased with David’s success.

When read in the context of David’s continual rise in rank, verse 6 suggests David’s defeat of Goliath was just the beginning of renewed fighting with the Philistines. On one occasion, when the men returned from battle, the women came from around Israel to welcome them. They sang, played instruments and danced in a victory celebration.

A victory over their archenemy should have filled Saul with joy as well. But the lyrics of the song caught his attention. While the song did praise him, David received greater accolades: “Saul has slain his thousands; and David his tens of thousands” (v. 7). Whether the last phrase should be translated as “tens of thousands” or not, the intent is clear: David had been more successful than Saul.

Saul, in his attitudes and actions, displayed his jealously of David. His attitude is recorded in verse 8. Saul became “very angry” with David, and the song “galled” him.

How vivid a portrait this paints! Recalling, therefore, a question posed at the beginning of this lesson, what did David have that Saul didn’t? What led to his jealousy of David? As the song suggests, David enjoyed greater praise from the people than Saul did. This is just as Saul himself interpreted the words (v. 8).

More than that, Saul began to think to himself, if David had won the approval of the people, then there would be nothing else for David to have except the kingdom itself. Little did he know the truth of that statement.

Saul’s actions quickly followed. David had lost his favored status with Saul: “And from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David” (v. 9). But Saul did more than just watch David closely.

Despite his military prowess, David still was a servant, and as such he played the harp for Saul whenever he had a bout with the evil spirit from the Lord. In fact, the day after the victory celebration, David played the harp for Saul to ease his torment.

Unlike before, however, Saul was not soothed. Instead, while David played, Saul picked up a spear and threw it at David, intent on pinning him to the wall. He was unsuccessful, twice.

After this, Saul experienced yet another emotion, fear (v. 12), and we learn the reason. David had yet something (actually someone) else that Saul did not: “the Lord.”

Again, Saul sent David into battle. This was not a promotion, though. Saul apparently meant to have David killed in battle. Later in the chapter he set the price for David to marry Michal at 100 dead Philistines (v. 25), thinking David would die trying.

However, Saul’s plan failed, both times. At every turn, David met with success because “the Lord was with him” (v. 14). Saul’s fear grew in proportion to David’s success.

Saul, in his mind anyway, had more reason to fear; now “all Israel and Judah loved David” (v. 16).

The remainder of chapters 18 and 19 detail how Saul acted upon his jealousy toward David. As stated, he would send him to fight the Philistines (vv. 24-28); he ordered others (even Jonathan) to kill David (19:1); and he again tried himself to kill David with the spear (19:9-10).

The Lord, with the aid of Jonathan, Michal and Samuel, foiled his plans each time. Saul was undaunted. He would spend the rest of his life trying to rid himself of David.

Though we experience jealousy at times, may we confess to the Lord and repent. May it certainly never reach the extremes exhibited by Saul. Let us be content where God has placed us and with what God has given us.

Discussion questions

• How do you handle feelings of jealousy toward another?

• What can we do to prevent jealousy from overtaking us?

• What is the cure for jealousy when it does appear?

• Can anything good come from feelings of jealousy?

• What should be the proper response to another’s success?

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.

Posted: 4/11/06

Family Bible Series for April 23

Preparation for life’s mission is essential

• Acts 1:1-14

By Greg Ammons

First Baptist Church, Garland

Peter Drucker died last year after an influential career. The Austrian economist and author wrote 31 books and served various businesses as a consultant. He once said there were three aspects to any successful mission: You must evaluate your strengths, recognize the opportunities before you and determine what you really believe. Commitment to these three principles will determine the success of your mission.

As believers in a risen Lord, we have the responsibility of being on mission, just like Jesus. The success of our mission will be determined by our commitment to the task. We must evaluate our strengths, recognize our opportunities and believe fully in the message of our Lord.

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Jesus’ mission (Acts 1:1-3)

Jesus had been obedient and faithful to his Father. He went to the cross willingly and laid down his life for our sins. He had a clear mission, and nothing deterred him from it. On the third day, he arose victorious.

The resurrection of Jesus was marvelous. The disciples were overjoyed to encounter him. Yet, he made it clear his mission was not complete.

After his resurrection, Luke recorded what Jesus said and did during the 40 days before his ascension back to heaven. He said Jesus appeared and gave many convincing proofs he was alive (v. 3). He also spoke about the kingdom of God. It was clear his mission had not ended.

C.T. Studd served as a missionary to several countries during the late 1800s. He once said: “Some wish to live within the sound of a church or chapel bell. I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell.” Jesus’ mission was aggressive as well. He did not play it safe. He encountered death, hell and sin while stopping short of nothing to secure our salvation. Christians should praise God for a Savior who allowed nothing to keep him from his mission.

My mission (Acts 1:4-8)

Not only did Jesus continue on mission after the resurrection, he also commissioned his disciples. He had a task for them, and it was to be a continuation of his work. On one occasion while he was eating with the disciples, Jesus gave them the command not to leave Jerusalem but wait for the gift the Father had promised (v. 4). He was speaking about the empowering of the Holy Spirit.

Later, the disciples asked Jesus if he was going to restore the kingdom of God at the present time (v. 6). He replied that it was not for them to know the times or dates, but they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came (1:7-8). The disciples had the mission of being Jesus’ witnesses beginning in Jerusalem and extending worldwide.

Each believer in Jesus today has the same commission from our Lord. We are to be witnesses for him in the power of the Holy Spirit. We are to begin where God has placed us, but extend our witness worldwide.

Sadly, only 10 percent of believers today pray for missions in a systematic way and on a regular basis. Only 1 percent of Christians ever engage in some type of cross-cultural mission endeavor. May each of us commit to fulfill the mission God has prepared for us, whether that mission takes us across the street or around the world.

Preparing for my mission (Acts 1:9-14)

After Jesus promised the Holy Spirit’s empowering, he was taken up to heaven before the disciples eyes. Then, he was hidden by a cloud (v. 9). While the disciples gazed into heaven, two angels appeared to them and assured the men Jesus would return again some day, just as he left (v. 11). In obedience to their Lord, the disciples returned to Jerusalem and remained in the Upper Room until Pentecost (v. 12). They joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women, Mary and Jesus’ brothers (v. 14).

The disciples literally shook the first-century world for Christ in the days ahead. God used them powerfully as they fulfilled the mission Jesus left for them. Yet before they did so, they prepared for their work through prayer and obedience. God may have you preparing now for a greater work. If so, the best preparation for your work comes through faithful prayer and complete obedience.

Just over a decade ago, George Scott desired to serve Christ in China. Yet, the Scottish school teacher had only one leg. Scott approached J. Hudson Taylor and asked if he could go to China and help him in is work. Taylor asked, “With only one leg, why do you think of going as a missionary?” Scott replied, “Because I don’t see those with two legs going.” Taylor accepted Scott to serve with him in China.

God has a mission for each of us. As we reflect upon Jesus’ mission and our mission, may we prepare by using the resources God has given to us to the best of our ability. We are responsible for sharing his good news.

Discussion questions

• Which aspect of Jesus’ mission do you feel was the most difficult?

• Do you pray for missions on a regular basis?

• How is God preparing you for what he desires of your life?

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.

Posted: 4/11/06

Explore the Bible Series for April 23

Effectiveness often necessitates change

• Isaiah 40:1-43:28

By James Adair

Baptist University of the Americas, San Antonio

A major shift in perspective from the earlier chapters of Isaiah occurs in chapter 40. Whereas chapters 1-39 are set in the days of Isaiah in Jerusalem, in the eighth century B.C., chapters 40-66 are set in the Babylonian exile and its aftermath, starting in the sixth century B.C., and many of the prophecies appear to have been delivered in Babylonia.

Most biblical scholars explain this phenomenon by proposing that chapters 40-55 preserve the words of a prophet who preached during the exile, while 56-66 are set a bit later, after many Jews returned from Babylonia.

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In addition to the shift in historical perspective, scholars point to differences in vocabulary, style and theological emphases in these chapters. From a compositional perspective, they also note chapters 36-39, a reprise of the history concerning Isaiah and King Hezekiah, would have formed a fitting ending to the oracles of the original Isaiah (Jeremiah 52).

I believe a setting during the Babylonian exile provides the best backdrop for the prophecies in these chapters, so my comments will assume that historical milieu.

Isaiah 40:1-11

At the time this prophecy was delivered, the Jews living in exile in Babylonia had been away from home as a group about 50 years. Though some undoubtedly adapted to their new surroundings well, others longed to return to the land of their ancestors.

It is to these people the prophet speaks his words of comfort, words of hope for a shattered people: “Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.”

The Jews in Babylonia looked back on their history and recognized many instances of rebellion and disobedience to God, and they interpreted their exile as God’s punishment for their sins. It was not sufficient, then, for them to hear they might have the opportunity to return to their homes. They needed to believe God had forgiven them for their sins.

Many people suffering today, rightly or wrongly, also interpret their troubles to be the result of their own sins. The joy many people experience in the routine of life only exacerbates their own feelings of sadness, magnified by guilt. For these people, the words of the prophet continue to provide comfort and forgiveness, if they just will listen and if the church will proclaim it faithfully.

Isaiah 40:21-31

“To whom then will you compare me?” asks God, through the mouth of the prophet. This passage celebrates the greatness of the Creator who gives strength to the weary. It is interesting to note in light of numerous global conflicts, God is described in verse 23 as one “who brings princes to naught and makes the rulers of the earth as nothing.”

Why is there so much talk in the Bible, and particularly in the prophets, about God exalting the lowly and casting down erstwhile leaders? Maybe it’s because too many leaders let power go to their heads, caring more for their own legacies than the well-being of their fellow citizens, not to mention the citizens of other countries.

No matter where they reside, all leaders should remember they are temporal. Their nation, neighboring countries, and above all the God of the universe will continue long beyond their passing. They would do well, then, to abandon mad schemes of regional or even world domination and join with God in giving power to the faint and strength to the powerless.

As Abraham Lincoln said, “Let us have faith that right makes might, and in that faith, let us, to the end, dare to do our duty as we understand it.” Right makes might, not the other way around.

Isaiah 42:1-9

These verses are the first of four “Servant Songs” many scholars recognize in this section of Isaiah. The prophet frequently refers to God’s servant in these chapters, but about whom is he talking?

The New Testament writers saw some of the passages as references to the public ministry of Jesus, and some of these verses may indeed be interpreted in reference to a single individual, but others seem to portray the nation of Israel in an idealized form.

The earliest translation of this passage into the Greek language (the Septuagint) explicitly identifies the servant in Isaiah 42 as the nation of Israel. If we take these verses as referring to a corporate entity rather than an individual, they remind us that God calls us to bring forth justice among the nations, to care for the weak in our world, and to be a light that shines God’s love on all those around us.

Isaiah 43:18-25

It has been said the seven last words of the church are, “We never did it that way before.” A few weeks ago, I met a young man who is the pastor of a church I attended as a child. At one time, the church was one of the premier churches in town, and Sunday services filled the sanctuary.

Over the years, the neighborhood around the church changed, but the church itself changed very little. The church continued to be predominantly Anglo in a neighborhood that was increasingly Hispanic. Still, the church did little to change, and eventually it died—well, almost.

When Sunday attendance had dwindled to just a handful of people, the remaining members handed control over to a Hispanic pastor and his son. Suddenly there were signs of life, and the church began to grow. It is nowhere near the size it was in its heyday, but it has recovered sufficiently to be considered off of life support.

Still, the young pastor informs me, the church is having a difficult time reaching the immediate neighborhood. Will it make the changes necessary to meet the needs of the community, or will it settle into an old pattern, comfortable with its present members and content to stay the course for the next several years?

No one knows for sure, but the spark of life the church has shown the past few years gives me reason to hope for the best.

When the prophet wrote to the Jews in exile, many of them felt that they had little reason to hope. The people had been living in Babylonia many years, and few saw any reason for optimism. They expected things to continue as they had, with no improvement, but the prophet had a different idea. “Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing,” he said in the name of God.

I believe God is a God of new things; it is people who are stuck in the past. We get comfortable with our current surroundings, even when they aren’t very good, and we look askance at change. Change just for the sake of change isn’t good, but a change in outlook, a change in perspective or a change in attitude often can be helpful.

We live in a changing world, and if our ministries are to stay effective, we must change with the world, adopting new strategies to live out the good news that God has for us, and for the whole world.

Discussion questions

• In our Christian ministries, how do we know when people need to hear words of comfort and when they need to hear a call to repentance? Why do so many people have difficulty accepting God’s forgiveness?

• How do you evaluate Abraham Lincoln’s statement that “right makes might”? Do Christians today agree with Lincoln?

• Which references in Isaiah 40-43 to God’s servant seem to refer to a single individual, and which seem to refer to a group of people? Do all the references to the servant refer to the same person or group? Is it possible that a certain amount of ambiguity in these passages is intentional?

• How important is tradition in comparison with innovation in church life? Why are some people naturally resistant to change, while others embrace it?

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.

Posted: 4/07/06

CYBER COLUMN:
Praying when you don’t know what to pray

By Jeanie Miley

Coming in from the ICU, I was exhausted and anxious. I’d gotten the call to meet my husband again at the Emergency Room, and one more time, I’d been scared out of my wits.

Once things were stabilized, I headed home, praying specifically that the doctors would do something. Mostly, my prayer was “Help! Help us, please!”

Jeanie Miley

The next night, however, I informed my adult children that I needed an hour alone. For an hour, I was simply going to sit in the silence, holding in my mind the presence of the Living Christ and my husband, as if the three of us were sitting together.

Time was when I knew exactly how to pray for my loved ones. It was no problem for me to inform God about how he should run the world, and I was pretty sure that it was my job to be as specific as possible about my prayer requests.

As life has become more complicated and complex, however, I’ve come to the place of knowing for sure that, most often, I’d better be careful about telling God what to do. In fact, I’ve come to the place of simply holding the needs of others before God and then just listening and waiting in an attitude of receptivity and quiet.

On this scary night, I was too tired to think clearly and I did not know for sure what was going to happen at the hospital when doctors began ordering tests and prescribing treatments. There was confusion about what to do, and I was certain that I didn’t know what needed to be done.

I did know, however, that prayer was needed, and so I began my hour of silence.

Over the last two decades, I’ve spent a lot of time in silence, simply resting in the Presence of God. My silence is symbolic of my consent to the presence and action of God. I suppose, in a way, that my silent, receptive prayer actually is a prayer that says, “Thy will be done.”

Practicing listening or receptive prayer means that I take my hands off the results or the outcome. I give up my expectations of what God is going to do and simply wait for God to move as God will. To wait on God means that I surrender my agenda to the sovereignty of God.

I really would like for God to reward my silence with some specific message that is clear and straight-forward, but I have come to the place of knowing that while God’s ways are not my ways, God does work mysteriously, redemptively and in the fullness of time.

The next morning, a procedure that the doctor had proposed had to be postponed because of a medication that had been given. We were disappointed.

The next morning after that, we got word that the procedure had been cancelled altogether because the risk factor was too great.

Last Wednesday night, my husband was teaching from Romans 8, and when he came to the part about how when we do not know how to pray the Spirit intercedes for us on our behalf with groanings too deep for words, I began to weep.

Indeed, God is at work in all things, attempting to bring about good. God is at work in all things even when we are attempting to run the show and control the outcome.

God is at work in all things, and I hope I have enough sense to remember to keep on being still and quiet and let God take the lead.

Jeanie Miley is an author and columnist and a retreat and workshop leader. She is married to Martus Miley, pastor of River Oaks Baptist Church in Houston, and they have three adult daughters. Got feedback? Write her at Writer2530@aol.com.

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.

Posted: 4/06/06

Senators say 'breakthrough'
on immigration plan near

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Senate April 6 voted down a plan for immigration reform 60-39, but soon after announced a “huge breakthrough” in gaining bipartisan support for a reform plan that would enable undocumented immigrants eventually to become citizens.

The vote and announcement came a day after it seemingly became clear that a bipartisan bill to reform immigration did not have the needed 60 votes to pass.

According to the Associated Press, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tennessee and Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, agreed this new plan was a breakthrough in the negotiations, but Reid cautioned against too much enthusiasm until the bill was passed.

Related articles: • Senators say 'breakthrough' on immigration plan near • Reyes: Bible should guide thinking on immigration reform

Suzii Paynter, interim director of the Texas Baptist Christian Life Commission, is encouraged to see leaders across party lines coming together on this issue. Lawmakers seem to have worked out their differences and come to a reasonable compromise, she asserted.

With President Bush supporting it, the immigration issue is less likely to fade quietly into the background, said Paynter, whose group called for “comprehensive immigration reform” at an April 5 news conference on Capitol Hill.

The new plan enhances border security, regulates the number of immigrants into the United States and provides an avenue for illegal immigrants to become citizens. The plan separates undocumented workers into three categories.

Aliens who have been in the country longer than five years can become citizens by taking several tests, paying fines and back taxes and submitting to a background check.

Undocumented people who have lived in the United States longer than two years but less than five years must first go to a border point of entry, leave the country briefly and be readmitted to the United States. Then they must go through the same series of requirements the first group must to become citizens.

Illegal immigrants who have been in the United States less than two years must leave the country and go through the same process other foreigners must to enter the country.

Republican leaders, including Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, repeatedly said senators were not given adequate opportunity to offer amendments or debate a judiciary committee plan that would have allowed illegal immigrants to apply for temporary work visas and enabled guest workers to become citizens after 11 years in the country.

Lawmakers were trying to “jam” the bill through the senate, Cornyn said. “This is not the senate working according to its finest traditions.” He also has voiced disatisfaction with the latest proposed bill.

But lawmakers from both parties agreed immigration reform is an important issue that must continue to be discussed. They spoke of a need to address the need for border security, a practical enforcement of immigration laws and the creation of an avenue for undocumented residents to become citizens.

“No matter how this cloture vote goes … we need to continue to work on this issue because it is so important to the future of our country,” said Sen. Ken Salazaar, D-Colorado.

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.

Posted: 3/31/06

Texas Baptist Forum

Laying on hands

Scripture places much more importance upon “laying on hands” than those esteemed men who were cited in “Laying on hands” (March 20). Hebrews 6:1-2 lists laying on hands as a foundational doctrine, giving it weight equal to repentance from dead works, faith toward God, baptisms, resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.

• Jump to online-only letters below

Letters are welcomed. Send them to marvknox@baptiststandard.com; 250 words maximum.

“For faith to be authentic, it must be freely embraced. … In a post-9/11 world where individuals die for their faith while others kill in the name of their religion, America's founding principle of religious liberty takes on even greater prominence.” Robert A. Seiple U.S. ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom (RNS) “Immigrants have values that can convert America and return America to the values of thrift and hard work.” Manuel A. Vasquez University of Florida religion professor (RNS) “My sense is that we will see the development of human/animal hybrids, mammals that have more and more bits of human in them. You can see a progression developing here that you might not be able to stop.” Nigel Cameron Professor of bioethics at the Illinois Institute of Technology (RNS) “It’s arrogant to say that either religion or science can answer all our questions. I don’t see the need either to banish one or the other or to artificially unite them.” Susan Fisher Miller Editor and English professor in Atlanta, commenting on the “debate” between religion and evolution (New York Times)

How could Charles Spurgeon reject the practice “as a form of ritualism that could easily lapse into popery”? He did not refuse to preach the doctrines of grace, although many perverted the teachings to become libertines.

1 Timothy 4:14 also is useful in this discussion. “Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.” This Scripture illustrates the following:

• In the early church, the laying on of hands was administered by the presbytery, not the congregation.

• The laying on of hands was a prophetic act, not a priestly act, requiring men who were proven to know the Scripture (“able to teach”) to judge the validity of the prophetic word. For example, we know from Scripture that God calls individuals to be pastors. However, we cannot ascertain from Scripture exactly who that particular individual is for our church. This requires a prophetic word discerned by those who are mature.

• This Scripture clearly states that grace (“the gift that is in thee”) is in fact conveyed and not merely acknowledged in the process.

This doctrine deserves a much more biblical treatment.

Robert Massey

Conroe

Journalistic license

Regarding Kelvin Kelly’s article considering women pastors (March 20): Biblical standards must supersede religious standards or our faith practices will devolve into exactly what this young man desires—a social and contextual approach to ministry rather than one founded on biblical truth and biblical principles!

The obvious textual reading of 1 Timothy is biblically correct and must be applied within all social and contextual settings: The pastor shall be the husband; therefore, he cannot be a she!

Attempting to make Scripture conform to culture rather than make cultural conform to Scripture is a dangerous undertaking. Kelly’s attempt is a travesty to proper scriptural exegesis, interpretation and application. It is a perfect example of situation ethics—society and culture demand women’s equality with men (whatever that means!); therefore, Scripture must be interpreted to fit the social conditions in deference to the demanded biblical standard.

Kelly’s article is poor journalism. It panders to those who will use it to justify their societal stance on the subject. Hopefully, it will enrage more than just me who will be willing to confront this type of journalistic license.

Jim Salles

Beaumont

Church labels

Much has been written about our churches not identifying themselves as “Baptist.” It seems to be widely, but quietly, agreed that the title “Baptist” is a hindrance to recruiting, but nothing I’ve read states how we have come to this questionable condition.

Consider the following explanation: Our highly publicized civil war in which the conservatives took control of the Southern Baptist Convention from the moderates sent the public a message that not everyone is welcome in our ranks.

In our gallant quest for biblical authority, we have inadvertently become the group known for what we are against rather than what we are for, not unlike the Pharisees of old. Our targets have included Mickey Mouse, public education, trick or treating, Harry Potter and wives who presume to have a vote in family matters.

Our grand traditions of congregational authority and priesthood of the believer are being compromised by pastors who see themselves as spiritual dictators. Freedom of thought is taking a back seat to blind obedience.

Because of these misguided efforts, what was once America’s greatest evangelical denomination has been tragically reduced to cult status in the eyes of much of the secular domain.

In an attempt to be constructive, may I suggest we adjust any condescending or judgmental attitude toward others to that of our Savior’s posture eloquently penned in a song, “He looked beyond my fault and saw my need.”

John H. Townsend

Memphis, Tenn.

Definition of ‘day’

Bill Kincaid’s critique of David Jones’ letter (March 20) doesn’t mention that “yom” in Genesis 1 is defined by “evening and morning”—one Earth revolution, and an ordinal, “one,” “second,” etc. 

While God didn’t say “24 hours,” every Hebrew scholar, taking the text at face value (exegesis) without reading in evolution (eisegesis), says Moses meant a normal day. Exodus 20:11 says we have a seven-day week because that’s how long creation took. Jesus said man was made in the beginning, not after billions of years (Mark 10:6).

Some have elevated evolution to the level of a fifth gospel. Not only is evolution not scientific, it violates every law of science and was long ago disproved.

Nobel Science Prize winner George Wald said: “When it comes to the origin of life, there are only two possibilities—spontaneous generation and special creation. Spontaneous generation was disproved a hundred years ago. That leaves us only with special creation. We refuse to accept that on philosophical grounds. Therefore, we are left with the unenviable position of having to believe the impossible.”

T.N. Tahmisian of the Atomic Energy Commission said, “In explaining evolution, we do not have one iota of fact.”

The scandal of our day is the censorship of scientific data explainable only by intelligent design. The decisions of judges turning our Constitution on its head are legendary. It’s no surprise when they come down on the wrong side of this issue. What is surprising are Christians who champion such censorship.

Brian Burgess

Peacock

Scientific evidence

I am an experienced and reasonably successful scientist and a biblical inerrantist. Thus, I believe I am qualified to comment on recent letters about the scientific basis for evolution.

The idea that the second law of thermodynamics precludes evolution is wrong. A greater increase in disorder at one location can be used to drive creation of order elsewhere. The disorder created by the nuclear reactions in the sun is more than enough to balance order created on Earth. Spontaneous creation of order is a common occurrence, for example, when salt crystals form.

Dating by tree rings is absolutely reliable and gives ages much older than the 6,000 years proposed by anti-evolutionists. These dates agree perfectly with carbon 14 dates.

There are many examples of transition forms in the fossil record. Thus, evolution is a reasonably good theory.

In addition, it does not contradict Genesis. Had God intended us to believe that creation occurred in six solar days, he would not have stated that a day occurred before the creation of the sun, and he would not have used a word (“yom”) that can mean “day” or “an era of time” (as it does in Genesis 2:4).

There is plenty of room in Genesis for evolution as a natural tool used by God, along with some supernatural ones. Insisting they are incompatible will not change the mind of people who really know the evidence, but it will continue to make them less receptive to the gospel.

Stephen Pruett

Bossier City, La.

Proud of partnership

It was with great satisfaction and pride that I read of the Baptist General Convention of Texas Executive Board’s decision to form a three-year partnership with the Baptist General Convention of Missouri.

Prior to moving to Waco in 2001 to attend Truett Seminary, I spent six years as a Missouri Baptist as my husband earned dual undergraduate degrees at Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar and then pastored First Baptist Church in Weaubleau.

We grieved as we watched the turmoil begin, as the Missouri Baptist Convention began legal proceedings against the state Baptist Home, Windermere Conference Center, Word & Way and other institutions.

Our brothers and sisters in Missouri are to be commended, and yes, supported for taking a stand in defense of historic Baptist principals. As a convention who has worked through many of these difficult issues, it is fitting that the BGCT support the BGCM.

Texas Baptists, I plead with you to pray for this partnership, Executive Director Jim Hill and the BGCM.

Michele L. King

Waco

. Letters are limited to 250 words.

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.

Posted: 4/05/06

BaptistWay Bible Series for April 16

God’s penetrating gaze reveals the heart

• 1 Samuel 16:1-13; 21-23

By Joseph Matos

Dallas Baptist University, Dallas

Looks can be deceiving, both negatively and positively. For instance, we have established all sorts of criteria to decide what people fit what occupation. Yet, once in a while, someone comes along who just doesn’t fit the mold, and succeeds. But we also see the “prototype” fail.

The problem is we are using the wrong mold when we should be using God’s mold. Samuel was reminded of this when he was again pressed into service to find a king for Israel.

Chapter 16 opens with the Lord’s rebuke of Samuel for his continued mourning of Saul, which was first mentioned at the end of chapter 15. However much time transpired between these verses, the mourning had gone on long enough. The Lord reminded Samuel this should cease; Saul had been rejected. Instead, Samuel was to be about the task of anointing Saul’s successor.

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This time, rather than the prospective king coming to Samuel, the Lord sent Samuel to the next king. The Lord led Samuel specifically to the house of Jesse in Bethlehem.

At first, Samuel feared Saul’s wrath if he found out. The Lord directed Samuel to take a heifer for sacrifice. This might have been a cover if in fact Samuel encountered Saul. But we also see that the sacrifice would serve as the context for identifying and anointing the next king of Israel. For Samuel was to invite Jesse to the sacrifice as well.

Whether sharing Samuel’s fear about Saul’s anger or being concerned Samuel’s arrival might mean a negative word from the Lord, the elders of the town “trembled when they met him” (v. 4). They wanted to know Samuel’s intentions (“Do you come in peace?”). He did, Samuel reassured them, inviting them to the sacrifice. Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them.

Jumping to conclusions, it would seem, Samuel declared Eliab the “Lord’s anointed” as soon as he saw him. Samuel seemingly still had the description of Saul in his mind. The Lord’s rebuke alludes to as much in his correction of Samuel. He warned Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him,” meaning Eliab (v. 7, see 9:2 and 10:23 for Saul’s description; and 15:23, 26; and 16:1 for Saul’s rejection). The Lord then gave Samuel criteria to consider in the selection process. Rather, than follow human standards, what is on the outside, Samuel was to follow God’s standard, a person’s heart, what is on the inside.

Employing this new standard, Samuel assessed each of Jesse’s sons as they passed by him, each time declaring, “The Lord has not chosen this one.”

After seven of Jesse’s sons passed by, Samuel turned to Jesse and asked if he had any more sons. Jesse acknowledged there was another son. But apparently, David did not fit Jesse’s mold, for he did not initially present him before Samuel. He was the youngest and was outside tending sheep (v. 11).

Two things come to mind with this description of David (not named until verse 13). First, “youngest” could also be understood as “smallest,” a clear contrast to Saul, who was tall. Second, the author(s) may have used Jesse’s comment about David’s tending sheep as prelude to his service as shepherd king over Israel.

At Samuel’s request, Jesse sent for David. When David arrived, the Lord called Samuel to action: “Rise and anoint him; he is the one” (v. 12). Unlike previously dealings with David’s brothers, Samuel did not make this selection on his own. So there in the presence of David’s brothers, Samuel poured the oil on David, anointed him as king. Simultaneously, the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power.

Without further fanfare, Samuel returned to Ramah.

A word about David’s appearance seems in order. While the Lord declared appearance was not to be a factor in selecting a king, verse 12 does give a physical description of David. He was ruddy (think Esau in Genesis 25:25), with “a fine appearance” (literally, beautiful eyes) and “handsome features” (think Joseph in Genesis 39:6). It should be noted, however, that David’s physical appearance was coincidental to his selection as king, not the basis of it.

The rest of the chapter describes how David and Saul met. Verses 14-20 record the torment Saul endured from time to time from an evil spirit. With language indicating the ancient belief that God was directly responsible for both the good and evil, both the narrator and Saul’s men refer to this torment as coming from Lord (vv. 14-15).

Their proposed solution to ease Saul’s pain was to call for a musician who could play the harp. One of the men mentioned he knew someone. It was David, son of Jesse (v. 18). The man further described David as brave, a warrior, articulate and fine-looking. But most importantly, “the Lord is with him.” Saul sent for Jesse and requested David’s service. Jesse sent David along with some offerings.

Saul liked David so much he brought him on full time (vv. 21-22) as one of his armor-bearers. And whenever called upon, David would play the harp to relieve Saul’s torment.

Unbeknownst to Saul, his replacement had arrived.

Saul saw David in the mold of a servant; the Lord saw him in the mold of a king.

Discussion questions

• When have appearances deceived you?

• What did God see in David’s heart that led to his anointing by Samuel?

• What might God see in you that you do not see in yourself?

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.

Posted: 4/05/06

CYBER COLUMN:
Sand on the seashore

By John Duncan

I’m sitting here under the old oak tree, pondering the tides of life. The ocean tides ebb and flow amid picturesque sunsets, where the orange sun reflects on blue waters while the ocean tides ripple to the shore. Life has its ebb and flow and sunsets and ripple effects, too.

During spring break, I took a trip to Mexico. I walked on the sandy beach with the sand sandwiched between my toes. Can I, as a preacher of good news, ever walk on the sandy shores of a beach without thinking of God’s word to Abraham that he will bless his chosen people as the sands of the sea? (Genesis 22:17) I take that to mean that God’s one big blessing will come in small does like tiny grains of sand squishing together on ocean shores to make a beach where seashells turn up and crabs burrow and seaweed washes up and where sunbathers lay out under the scorching heat and little girls and boys with plastic shovels build sand castles.

John Duncan

Can I ever think of sand without thinking of Joseph storing up grain during the Egyptian drought like the sand of the sea? (Genesis 41:49)

Can I ever think of sand without thinking of God’s blessing to the Israelite tribe of Zebulun, that God would bless them with a feast that would be like finding treasures in the sand? (Deuteronomy 33:19)

Can I ever feel sand between my toes without thinking of Job in his anguish, complaining that his pain outweighed the sum total of the sands of the sea? (Job 6:3)

Or Jesus talking about a man who built his house on the sand and the house fell like a mansion in California that mudslides into the Pacific Ocean because of the drenching rain or Jesus writing in the sand with the woman caught in adultery while the steely eyed Pharisees looked on with skepticism? (Matthew 7:26; John 8:8)

I walked on the sand in Mexico with my family following. We looked for a place to lay our stuff and sit in the sunshine and watch the beautiful ocean tides ebb and flow. As I walked I observed—two teenagers, one a boy drunk as a skunk, whatever that means, and a girl puking her guts from a day of combined sun and moonshine; swimmers with snorkels skimming the depths for colored fish; a ski boat pulling a parasail draped against the horizon and a blue sky; jet skiers and sailboaters cruising the ocean waters that, from a distance, looked like glass; swimmers laughing; and beside me on the shore, a boy playing in the sand while building a sand castle that the ocean tide kept pounding and dissolving his walls.

We finally found a landing spot with beach chairs. I settled on the shore, then later swam out to the iceberg, a huge plastic balloon in the water, the equivalent of a rock climber’s paradise. I climbed the iceberg and slid down into the water and swam back to the shore. I sat on the shore again. I observed the scenery as the tropical sun radiated heat to the sand.

I noticed a man helping a woman out of the water. Did she cut her foot on coral? Did she twist her ankle moving about in the tides and shifting sand? Had a swimmer accidentally kicked her and now she could barely walk?

The man lifted her from the water as they walked, their upper torsos harmoniously gliding out of the water. My eyes sat in wonder as I saw that she had one leg. They fell on the sandy shore, she bracing the fall with her arm and wrist and he picking her up again. They laughed, as if to say to one another amid the smiles that all is well. He picked her up completely, cradling her like a child in his arms, and gently placed her on the beach. He turned and went back to the ocean, the ebb and flow of the ocean cascading against his legs while he kept his eyes on her.

All the while, I am thinking of Abraham and Joseph and Job and Jesus and sands of the seashore and weighty sand of anguish and words in the sand and blessings like tiny grains of sand dropping into our lap to make a beach of blessings. I am thinking too of life, that as much as I hate to spiritualize the moment, and with respect to the disabled in our world, that we are all crippled in some way, physically, emotionally, mentally or spiritually, with weights and burdens of trouble and care that wash against our lives and dissolve the walls like that little boy’s sand castle.

I am reminded that we in our despair and crippled helplessness and in life limping along that we need Jesus to carry us in the ocean of life and to pick us up when we fall and to keep his eyes of love on us in the currents and tides of life.

I visited Riley Robeson and his wife, Laverne, the other day. They lived as saints. They are charter members of the church I am privileged to pastor. Their fortysomething daughter died not long ago, and my pastoral history for 19 years included funerals in the loss of a grandchild and son-in-law and memories of eating roast at their house and good times in the excitement of church growth. They live in a nursing home, where Riley says, “The food ain’t near as good as I used to get at home.” Now he walks with a walker and Laverne is in another world, barely recognizing people and talking out of her mind with words like “I wonder if someone is going to kidnap us and take us to South America and kill us?”

Just the other day, I told Riley: “I miss you at church. I really miss you.” He was always positive and visionary and encouraging, and when those kind of people are not around anymore, you miss them. So I told him so.

Riley said he missed me and the church, too. I said, “Brother Riley, I guess you never planned on this, huh?” Riley has worked hard all of his life, well into his eighties. A tear welled up in his eye but never came out, his misty eyes peering off in the distance and staring as if the blank wall held a beautiful scene like the blue ocean waters of Mexico.

“No,” he said, “I never planned on this. You just never know what you’re gonna do when the props get pulled out from under you. I just try to trust the Lord.”

“Props” took my mind back to the sandy shores of Mexico.

So there it is, blue ocean waters with sandy shores and a man lifting a one-legged woman out of the water and Jesus at the center of the ocean of life. Admit it or not, props get knocked out from under us in the ocean of life, the ebb of unexpected losses and the tide of tragedy and the cascading ripple of life itself, and we need for someone to carry us, lift us when we fall, and keep his loving eyes on us.

It’s spring. Under this old oak tree green leaves blossom. Bluebonnets poke their way from the Texas soil soon. Days get longer. Birds chirp. Fish jump out of the water. And somewhere there is a lady with one leg. All in all, Jesus came to prop us up, today, tomorrow, forever. And God blesses, in small doses one grain of sand at a time to form abundant life more glorious than the beach.

   

John Duncan is pastor of Lakeside Baptist Church in Granbury, Texas, and the writer of numerous articles in various journals and magazines. You can respond to his column by e-mailing him at jduncan@lakesidebc.org.

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.

Posted: 4/05/06

Afghan president praises decision to release Abdul Rahman

By Robert Marus

ABP Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON (ABP)—Afghanistan’s president praised his government for releasing a Christian who had been threatened with death for abandoning Islam.

Hamid Karzai said the nation’s judiciary was right not to bow to pressure from Muslim clerics and elected leaders, who had called for 41-year-old Abdul Rahman to be executed because of his conversion more than 14 years ago.

“This was a sensitive issue for Muslims, but—thanks to God—at a time when emotions were running high, the courts weren’t influenced by these feelings,” Karzai said in an address to judicial officials in Kabul, the Associated Press reported. “They made their decision, and it was the right decision.”

On March 26, Afghanistan’s Supreme Court dismissed the government’s case against Rahman. Legal officials gave conflicting reasons for the dismissal, citing a lack of evidence against him and a belief that he may be mentally unfit to stand trial.

Rahman was freed and went into immediate hiding March 27. He is now in Italy, where officials offered him asylum. Afterwards, hundreds of Afghans protested the release, as did the nation’s parliament, in a non-binding vote.

Rahman converted to Christianity while working for a Christian aid group in Pakistan in the early 1990s. He was only recently jailed after court leaders learned of his faith in a child-custody battle with his ex-wife.

Since his imprisonment made headlines, groups from multiple faiths, continents and political ideologies have decried the Afghan judicial system for the situation. Conservative Christian groups and impartial human-rights organizations in the United States first called attention to the situation but were joined by international human-rights groups, the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the New York Times editorial board.

President Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice appealed to Karzai to assure Rahman’s safety. But Karzai said at the time that he could do nothing without violating the separation of powers between Afghanistan’s executive and judicial branches of government.

The Afghan Constitution, drafted and approved in the wake of the nation’s liberation from the theocratic Taliban regime in 2001, has separate sections protecting religious freedom and establishing Islam as the supreme law of the land. Religious-freedom watchdog groups repeatedly warned that the tension between the two provisions would provide too much leeway to conservative Muslim jurists in cases such as Rahman’s.

According to Compass Direct, an evangelical Protestant group that monitors persecution of Christians worldwide, at least two other Afghans Christians have been jailed in recent days. The agency declined to disclose details about the cases.

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.