Posted: 2/06/04

Postmodern people seek 'spiritual family,' Berryhill insists

By Ferrell Foster

Texas Baptist Communications

RICHARDSON–In today's postmodern world, “there's a real cry for spiritual mothers and fathers,” said John Berryhill, chief director of Emerging Church Network.

People who are part of this new culture are looking for others “who will care about their lives,” Berryhill told participants at a workshop during the Texas Evangelism and Missions Conference at Richardson's First Baptist Church.

Such a “spiritual family” gives a person “a place to connect, a place to share their stories, their journey,” he said.

“It can happen in lots of different forms.”

Postmodern people also need healing and empowering, Berryhill said.

Small, simple groups where people can relate “in a community” are effective at reaching postmoderns with the gospel, he noted.

A key is that “people first have to belong,” he said.

“Can people participate in your community in their pre-Christ state?”

After belonging, then a person begins to behave differently and belief comes last, Berryhill said.

“It's a little different path to evangelism.”

Today, however, there are many different emerging cultures.

“Thousands of diverse people … do not readily fit into our way of doing church,” he said.

“Now it is a really wide-open road.”

Christians interested in reaching people in emerging cultures first must understand the culture, he said.

Christians need to be observant to discover the “tribes” that live in an area and learn their distinctive characteristics, he added.

Understanding can then lead to relationships.

“What gives credibility in this culture is not titles, it's relationships,” Berryhill said.

“We want to see transformation, … but we have to be smart in how we go about that.”

Posted: 2/06/04

Texas Envoys' seminary service
impacts ministry throughout Europe, Asia

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

Some Christians adopt a particular people group as the focus of their missions efforts.

Larry and Betty Maddox adopted a continent.

For the last three years, the Maddoxes have volunteered at the International Baptist Theological Seminary in Prague, Czechoslovakia.

They serve as Texas Envoys, an effort by the Texas Partnerships Resource Center of the Baptist General Convention of Texas that connects volunteers with mission projects.

Larry Maddox has served as a part-time professor. His wife has worked as the campus hostess, making arrangements for students and staff.

The couple has ministered in many countries through the European Baptist Federation-affiliated school, including Russia, Romania, Serbia and Bosnia. They worked at schools and institutions affiliated with the seminary.

Maddox described the students as eager to learn and apply the seminary's materials. They are grateful for the opportunity to go to the Baptist World Alliance-funded school, he said.

The Maddoxes have touched lives throughout Europe and parts of Asia, teaching English, church administration and Christian ethics.

Beyond the classroom, the Texas Envoys invite students to their home for meals and discuss issues pupils are facing.

The Maddoxes' influence on the students' lives travels further around the world as the pupils take what they learn back to their home countries to serve as missionaries.

Often, the Maddoxes have been amazed to see what the students accomplish after leaving the seminary.

Seminary students are starting schools and churches across Europe and Asia, Maddox noted.

They are strengthening existing congregations. Using relationships, they are training others to spread the gospel.

“Anytime we go to see former students, it is so fulfilling,” he said said.

“This is why we are here. It's the students that captured our hearts.”

This model of training nationals to be missionaries is the most effective way of strengthening and spreading Christianity, the Maddoxes agreed.

Residents know the language and understand the culture of the region without training. They have seen which evangelism methods work.

“We think the way to do missions is to train the student and let him train his people,” she said.

“We have seen it work.”

The work impressed the couple so much that they started raising funds in the United States for the seminary.

A decline in the value of the dollar has decreased the value of U.S. donations.

The school has been forced to cut child care programs and reduced the number of scholarships offered.

If the Southern Baptist Convention defunds the Baptist World Alliance, as recommended by an SBC committee, the seminary will take another economic hit.

Despite financial difficulties, the seminary staff and the Maddoxes continue ministering to the students.

The couple have looked for opportunities to share their experiences to encourage more volunteers to work overseas.

Investing in students is impacting the world for Christ, the couple said.

“It has been three of the best years of our lives,” Betty Maddox said.

For more information about Texas Envoys, contact the Texas Partnerships Resource Center at (214) 828-5181.

Posted: 2/06/04

LifeWay Explore the Bible Series for Feb. 15

God's wisdom is necessary for sexual purity

Selected Proverbs

By John Duncan

Lakeside Baptist Church, Granbury

Reports indicate a connection between poverty and teenage sexual promiscuity. James Q. Wilson says: “You need only three things in this country to avoid poverty–finish high school, marry before having a child and marry after the age of 20. Only 8 percent of the families who do this are poor; 79 percent of those who fail to do this are poor” (citing Presidential advisor William Gaston in Family Ministry, Spring issue).

Teenagers are not alone in promiscuity. Adultery and broken marriage vows accentuate the misery, pain and anxiety of the foolishness of promiscuity. God's wisdom from Proverbs invites his people to seek God's will to pursue a lifestyle that is spiritual, mutually fulfilling, physically healthy, and values the present and future of the relationship.

Warning

If purity of life and sexual purity in God's eyes are a goal, then each person must consider God's ways and his or her own ways. “For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord and ponder all his goings” (Proverbs 5:21) Pondering God's way indicates three thought processes: (1) thinking of God's expectations; (2) respecting other people and the paths of their lives (5:6); and (3) honoring self in the realm of spiritual purity. This simply means listening to God's wisdom long before passion, sexual temptation and promiscuity come knocking on your door (5:1-2).

Paul addressed a problem at Thessalonica. He challenged the first century Christians to walk in a way that pleased God (1 Thessalonians 4:1). He reminded them of God's commandments–given for the good of the kingdom of God, the body of Christ and individuals (v. 2). Paul then stated the pure in life will one thing–to please God. How was that done?

Paul begged the early church to live a life set apart and under God's direction. He commanded them to abstain from sexual misconduct. Paul moves one step further in explaining how purity can be worked in practical ways.

First, respect others in their uniqueness as set apart by God. This keeps a person from looking at a partner through selfish and lustful eyes (v. 4). Second, honor the other person by serving them and valuing them before God. Paul indicates that honor creates a circle in a relationship: God, man and woman in relationship. The circle is broken when respect for any one of those persons is broken.

Third, Paul warns against allowing the mind to pursue any other thing except God's purity. Beware of lust, an inner drive that appeals to the imagination (v. 5). Four, beware of stealing from another person that which rightfully belongs to them (v. 6). The theft might be the gift of virginity outside marriage or a relationship already established with a spouse.

Paul warns his hearers to please God by denying the self, honoring another and enjoying the gift of sex in the boundaries of monogamous marriage intended by God. Consider your ways, your comings and goings, your goals and God's will (Proverbs 1:8-9).

Proverbial wisdom

The writer of Proverbs describes a similar warning in his day. Understand God's ways. This might mean avoiding situations that compromise your values, your pure will and God's plan (5:1-2). It alerts the spiritual person to wise choices, to a discretionary mind that does not detour from God's path or surrender the body to momentary passions.

In our image-driven world of wandering values, keeping God's straight path warrants the continual feeding of the heart, soul, mind and passions with God's knowledge (v. 3). God's word serves as a tool to build discipline, a sword to battle temptation and an escape route to free the mind. “Hear me and my words,” the writer of Proverbs shouts (v. 7).

What happens when the passions of lust and sexual drive overpower the purity of life? Deception offers sweetness, but the end result is bitterness (vv. 3-4). Where bitterness swarms and swells in a person's heart, pain stings deeply and seldom retreats. Sexual promiscuity and infidelity can produce anger, anxiety and intense pain like a sword piercing the body (4:5). Such actions lead also to what the writer of Proverbs calls, a “downward pull.” Sexual impurity drags people down into trash heaps and filth. It distances people from God to an extreme and grieves his heart (v. 5).

Flee

Paul tells his young friend Timothy to flee youthful lusts by pursuing righteousness, faith, love, peace with God and a pure life (1 Timothy 2:22). The writer of Proverbs gives a similar word: “Run from temptation. Close the door on sexual impurity. Depart from the winding path of sexual misconduct” (Proverbs 5:8).

Reading Proverbs 5, you get the impression that the writer understands the pain of impurity. He indicates part of the pain is knowing you acted the part of a fool, hated instruction, utterly rejected wise words and turned a deaf ear to wisdom (vv. 8-14). For those who fall into the trap of impurity, Christ offers forgiveness while demanding repentance toward purity of life. Purity sets the heart at peace with God, the inner self and others.

Question for discussion

What wisdom in Proverbs 5 most speaks to you?

Posted: 2/06/04

LifeWay Explore the Bible Series for Feb. 22

Wisdom about money begins with right priorities

Selected Proverbs

By John Duncan

Lakeside Baptist Church, Granbury

Proverbial wisdom indicates life is short and so is money. The Apostle Paul warned the love of money is the root of all evil (1 Timothy 6:10). Money, by itself, is neutral. It is not evil, but rather the root of all kinds of evil in the world. It is neither good nor bad. Possessing lots of money or very little does not matter to God. How you use money is what matters.

People look at what a person earns or where he lives, but God looks at what a person gives and into his or her heart. However, one thing stands clear. Money creates more stress, anxiety and trouble than any other commodity in the history of humankind. Still, it is a necessary commodity.

The writer of Proverbs knows of money, its temptation, its power to possess rather than be possessed, its necessity and the companions that can potentially walk by its side–pride, greed, theft, lust and jealousy. Proverbs does two things: (1) it warns; (2) it supplies wisdom for daily living. View finances wisely under the watchful eye of God.

Attitude

The writer of Proverbs does not start a discussion of money by talking about the currency you can hold in your hand. He starts by speaking to the heart of a person's values. He says, “By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honor and life” (22:4). Money starts with an attitude that blossoms in the heart: Fear God, first; second, humble yourself before God and others.

True riches flow from the heart to others. True riches fill the soul. True riches inspire the mind to think and act in ways that honor God. Silver and gold take a back seat to spiritual wealth, knowing Jesus and the reputation of a good name (22:1).

What do fear and humility have to do with a starting place for an attitude about money? Fearing God connects you to his grace; that, in turn, generates gratitude to God for all things. Humbling yourself before God and others creates a God-given desire to share, to minister to others and to live as a steward of money rather than a tight-fisted controller of money.

Fear and humility also produce a desire for responding to financial hardships by trusting God and for responding to financial successes by serving God. Proverbs says, “A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that makes haste to be rich shall not be innocent” (28:20). God faithfully provides, expects faithfulness in grace and giving in response to him, and blesses the circle of that faithfulness.

The blessings are threefold: (1) between God and the individual giver; (2) between giver and the receiver; (3) and to the receiver's larger circle of relationships–the family, the church and the mission of reaching people that extends beyond the church. The blessing never remains in isolation. Fear and humility draw others into God's circle.

Honor God with your finances

A spiritual view of money begins with God, but does that mean the realities of financial pressure, paying bills, balancing the checkbook and helping others come easily? Realities increase pressure, but when you remember God, “stuff” is put in its proper place.

Scholar David Atkinson says Proverbs is about justice, personal integrity, economic integrity and healthy living that maximize the opportunity to handle life happily with God's care. A right attitude toward God is crucial. Proverbs says, “Honor the Lord with your substance, and with the first fruits of all your increase” (3:9).

Old Testament wisdom demands the first fruit, setting aside the first God has given. Malachi (3:10; Leviticus 27:30; Nehemiah 10:37) describes the first fruit as storehouse tithing, giving 10 percent of your income to the Lord through his church. The New Testament reinterprets the Old Testament and places tithing as the starting place for giving to the Lord (Matthew 23:23; Luke 11:42). Jesus calls the servant of Christ not only to tithe but also to go beyond tithing by giving above and beyond based on the value of faith, people's needs and God's sacrificial love at work in your heart. God's love at work in the heart reaches out in sacrificial gifts for the purpose of honoring God, helping others because God helps us and for communicating his love.

Honoring God with finances means giving God priority with money. Biblical stewardship of money never circulates in isolation but always touches others. God's economy challenges the believer in Jesus to work hard, spend wisely, save wisely and share in abundance because of Christ's abundant life.

Integrity

Integrity in finances involves acting responsibly with the resources God gives. It is better to live a righteous life under God's care than to live in the lap of luxury because of deceit or scheming that aims to amass wealth without work. Wealth acquired without work has the potential to produce vanity and emptiness (13:11). Wealth accumulated through hard work increases an appreciation both of grace and possessions.

Every use of money has its consequences. Those who gain their money by false practices will end up with empty hands (20:17). Those who use money as a steward under God's care will reap the blessings of a relationship with God, the blessing of others and the blessing of God's abundant supply for daily needs. God blesses abundantly beyond all that we can ask or give (Ephesians 3:20).

Question for discussion

What is the hardest part of being wise with money?

Posted: 2/06/04

LifeWay Family Bible Series for Feb. 15

Reaping rewards from a focused Bible study

Joshua 1:6-9; Psalm 1:1-6; 2 Timothy 2:14-16

By David Jenkins

New Hope Baptist Church, Big Sandy

As a pastor, I have discovered people read the Bible for different reasons. Some read it out of a sense of duty. They quickly skim through a prescribed portion of Scripture, hardly realizing, much less understanding, what they have read. Others search the Scriptures when they want to prove a point or win an argument. Still others see the Bible primarily as a book containing great literature and will even commit portions of it to memory.

Those who truly are disciples of Christ view the Bible as the word of God, a body of holy Scripture to be read, meditated upon, digested and applied to their daily living. They cherish God's word as a medium of constant communication with their heavenly Father.

How to be an effective leader (Joshua 1:6-9)

Joshua was about to assume the most taxing challenge of his life. He would lead the Israelites, God's chosen people, into Canaan–the land God had promised them through Abraham. Furthermore, Moses, who had led that unwieldy mass of people from Egypt to the entrance to Canaan, was dead.

Moses had been Joshua's mentor and God's representative before the people. How could he ever gain the authority Moses had with the people? God was aware of Joshua's anxiety and fear, and he moved quickly to allay that fear with some of the most encouraging promises of support any new leader could hope to receive. Three times in the course of his instructions to Joshua, God said, “be strong and courageous” (1:6-7, 9).

But how was Joshua to “be strong and courageous” to perform the task before him? He was to obey God's law that Moses had delivered to him and to the people, and he was to “meditate on it day and night” (v. 8). The Hebrew word translated “meditate” actually means “mutter.”

In an Orthodox Jewish synagogue, one will often hear a low, continuous murmur as the worshippers repeat the Scriptures orally, swaying back and forth in their traditional manner. It is their belief that when one mutters God's word to himself, he is constantly thinking about it. Then, according to God's words to Joshua, this meditation must lead to action. We must be careful to obey God's commandments.

How to be strong in your faith (Psalm 1:1-6)

Psalm 1 is a most appropriate beginning to the book of Psalms, for it distinguishes the righteous from the wicked. It pronounces a blessing on those who obey God and judgment upon those who reject him. Most important is the way in which the psalmist characterizes those who are righteous. He points out the righteous man finds no pleasure in the lifestyle of those whose view of life is evil, distorted and deceitful. He does not frequent the places where such views of life are held. Instead, he finds his delight “in the law of the Lord.”

God's word is his divine revelation, which is designed to help us live in harmony with his will. As sincere believers earnestly search the Scriptures, they will find increasing delight and joy in their walk with God. The word “delight” expresses all that makes a person happy. But then, God's law is even more than one's delight. According to the psalmist, it becomes one's chief desire. As we open our hearts to God's revelation and delight in its teachings, we begin to realize more and more the greatness and awesomeness of our God. This is “the beginning of wisdom” (Psalm 112:1).

Meditating on God's word “day and night” is the habit of reflecting on God's revelation to us any time during the course of a day. A ministry of the indwelling Holy Spirit to Christians is to bring God's word to our remembrance at moments of need. In order for this to happen, we must be consistent in spending time in Bible study and meditation.

How to guard God's truth (2 Timothy 2:15-16)

God's inspired word is indestructible. Though the heavens and the earth pass away, God's word will stand forever (Matthew 24:35). From the beginning, however, efforts have been made to distort its truths and manipulate them to serve biased purposes.

This was happening in the first century, and it greatly disturbed the Apostle Paul. He spoke out often in his letters to the churches and to individuals about the need to guard against false teachers and erroneous doctrines. He urged the young preacher Timothy to handle God's word seriously and with integrity. The phrase translated “rightly dividing” or “correctly handles” literally means “holding a straight course.”

Diligent teachers of God's word are to guard against any teaching that would veer from the truths that remain constant throughout Scripture. Any interpretation that runs contrary to the general message of the Bible should be immediately suspect. Paul urged Timothy to discourage “godless chatter,” or those who would quarrel over the interpretation of God's word. An “approved workman” is one who makes no apology for the clear teachings of the Bible and who stands firmly against any effort to compromise or dilute its truths.

Questions for discussion

Why is regular Bible study important in a believer's life? What is the difference between reading the Bible and meditating on its truths?

Posted: 2/06/04

LifeWay Family Bible Series for Feb. 22

The stewardship of giving stimulates growth

Malachi 3:6-12; 1 Corinthians 16:1-4

By David Jenkins

New Hope Baptist Church, Big Sandy

On a Sunday morning at Christmas time, our church's mission committee joined hands in a circle at the front of the auditorium. Nearly 100 gaily decorated shoeboxes were stacked on either side of the Lord's Supper table. They were filled with candy and toys, destined for underprivileged children in countries throughout the world. A member of the committee prayed God would bless each child who received one of these boxes.

Afterward, several people mentioned to me they felt a deep sense of remorse that we so take for granted the blessings of our affluent society in light of the destitution throughout the world.

God has blessed believers with abundant spiritual blessings. Often we are guilty of forgetting our unworthiness as recipients of his bounty. We demonstrate this forgetfulness in failing to return to God a portion of our material blessings in tithes and offerings.

Who is the true owner of our possessions?

Many harsh words of judgment appeared in Malachi's prophecies to the priests and people of Israel. The people were rebellious before God. But what stands out like the snow-capped peaks of a mountain range is God's extended mercy in spite of his wounded love. In the Malachi Scripture passage in this study, we see God's generosity declared along with the fact we cannot outgive him. Because God is so generous toward us, we must strive to obey him in all things. Particularly this is true in the total stewardship of our lives, which includes our possessions.

Before facing the people with their failure to bring their tithes and offerings to the Lord's storehouse, Malachi reminded them God was unchangeable. That he does not change is reflected in his name, Jehovah (Yahweh), which means “who is that he is.” His promises are true and constant. Their fulfillment may be delayed because of our lack of faith. Yet still, God will do what he has promised.

God wanted his people to know that in spite of their disobedience and sin, he would save them from destruction. He told them plainly they were guilty of robbing him by withholding their tithes and offerings.

The promise of blessing

What would the people have to do to escape God's judgment because they had robbed him of tithes and offerings? They were to begin again doing what they knew was right. They were to bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, which was the house of God. The temple in Jerusalem was the gathering place for all of the produce the people brought. The Levites then apportioned the part of it that was to be offered as sacrifices to the Lord and then kept enough for their own needs and for whatever emergencies might arise.

In verses 11-12, God told the people through Malachi the extent to which he would pour out his blessings upon those who were faithful in bringing their tithes and offerings to the Lord. Farms, orchards and vineyards abounded in that society. God's blessings would have to do with the increase of the fruit of the earth. Not only would the people prosper materially, they also would be a testimony to the surrounding nations who would take note of the way their God had blessed them.

Biblical giving is a part of worship

Paul had begun a project among the churches he had established in Europe and Asia Minor to gather an offering for the believers in Jerusalem who were suffering because a famine had struck that area. Actually, he had presented the idea first in Corinth, but problems had developed in the church, and they were not responding as eagerly as some of the other congregations. Paul urged them to complete the collection and to do so by bringing their gifts “on the first day of the week.” This was the first day after the Sabbath, or Saturday. This is an indication that Sunday was the day on which the early Christians worshipped regularly. One of the early church fathers, Justin Martyr (second century A.D.), wrote that contributions to the church were received on that day.

Paul also indicated giving was to be proportionate. All were to participate, both rich and poor, in keeping with their income. As a pastor, I encourage those who begin to tithe to deduct the tenth, God's portion, before anything else is spent.

Then Paul stressed the regularity of their giving. This particular offering was to be regularly set aside “every week.” In other words, Christians ought to consider paying the tithe and giving offerings as a part of their worship in the Lord's house. Receiving the offering during the worship hours on Sunday should be just as much an expression of worship as any other part of the service.

As we ask God to help us discipline ourselves in general worship, in prayer and in Bible study, so should we seek to be equally disciplined in our total stewardship.

Questions for discussion

What should be a Christian's motive in paying the tithe and giving offerings to the Lord? In what ways do we “rob God” by failing to be faithful in our stewardship?

Posted: 2/06/04

Stick with biblical fund-raising method, Austin urges

HOUSTON–Churches aren't parent/teacher associations, and they shouldn't try raising funds like them, said Terry Austin, director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas stewardship office.

Bake sales and book drives are not biblical ways for a church to raise money consistently, Austin said during a stewardship summit sponsored by the Christian Stewardship Association in partnership with the BGCT.

Congregations need to teach and practice biblical stewardship, Austin continued. Asking Christians to give their money and time is teaching them to obey the Bible.

Too often, churches turn to fund-raising events because they are easy, he said. Other churches rely heavily on wealthy members to rescue them from fiscal peril.

Many church leaders are afraid teaching about stewardship will offend their congregations, Austin said. They incorrectly claim tithing, giving 10 percent of one's income to the church, is an obsolete rule from the Old Testament.

Leaders in those churches prefer to emphasize that all resources belong to God, without giving practical suggestions for how much actually should be given, he added.

Financial teachings such as these impede the spiritual development of believers, Austin said. Because church members are not taught biblical stewardship, they do not understand that giving money, time and energy to Christian work is a way to worship God. They do not realize the call to set aside a tithe of one's income for God still applies.

Moreover, giving is an act of testifying about what is important in one's life, he said. By freely giving money, a Christian is telling others God is more important than financial resources.

“We don't give to be accepted by God,” said Austin, who was named Christian Stewardship Association stewardship professional of the year during the meeting. “We give as a demonstration of our obedience and faith in God.”

When people understand the biblical call for the tithe, giving becomes more important to them, he said. Church members will tithe joyously because they know the money funds ministry.

“People are willing to give if it is important to them,” he said.

He encourages church leaders to incorporate giving into worship services. Ministers should explain tithes pay for ministry. Other suggestions included singing praises to God during the offering and presenting the money at the altar, where it is blessed.

Churches and individual Christians lose out when biblical stewardship principles are not taught, Austin said. About 2.5 percent of the average Christian's income goes to the church. If all members tithed, budgets would increase 400 percent and finance more ministry.

“By neglecting the truth of the tithe, the church is robbing blessing from individuals and itself,” he said.

Posted: 2/06/04

Graham plans Kansas City 'Heart of America' crusade

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (BP)–Evangelist Billy Graham will conduct a crusade in Kansas City, Mo., June 17-20 at Arrowhead Stadium, officials with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association announced Jan. 8.

Billed as “The Heart of America Billy Graham Crusade,” it will mark the third time Graham has conducted such an event in Kansas City, the last being in 1978.

Graham and the BGEA team are coming “in fear and trembling and in weakness, but with great joy and dependence upon the Holy Spirit,” said Cliff Barrows, Graham's longtime associate and song leader who spoke at the news conference attended by several hundred media, area pastors and lay leaders.

Barrows said Graham's broken left hip, which required surgery and a partial replacement Jan. 6 at a hospital in Jacksonville, Fla., would not deter him from his 415th crusade.

“Mr. Graham is doing wonderfully well,” Barrows said. “The hospital expects a complete recovery. He'll plan to be here as scheduled, and we're praising God for that.”

Graham suffered the broken hip when he fell in a hotel room on the grounds of the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, where he was reporting for a semiannual checkup.

Larry Turner, vice president of crusades for the BGEA, read an acceptance letter from Graham that expressed how deeply the renowned evangelist wants to return to Kansas City.

“I never expected to still be preaching at the age of 85, and yet my call to proclaim the gospel is as strong as ever,” Graham wrote. “For the past two years, the Lord has given me a burden for Kansas City, and the heart of America. … Therefore, health permitting, I will be glad to come to Kansas City. My associates and I are honored to join hands with you in proclaiming the Good News, praying that many will accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior.”

The acceptance letter by Graham read at the Jan. 8 new conference made it clear Graham would follow up his 1967 and 1978 crusades with yet another in 2004.

Posted: 2/06/04

Halftime peep show sparks call for restraint

By Rob Marus

ABP Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON (ABP)–Standards of decency on broadcast television are again in the news as the Federal Communications Commission investigates what led to an incident during the halftime show at Super Bowl XXXVIII.

The show, watched by an estimated 99 million viewers, was broadcast on CBS Feb. 1. During the show, recording artists Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake created a sensation when, at the end of a performance featuring a sexually suggestive dance routine, Timberlake ripped off a part of Jackson's costume, exposing her right breast.

“I am outraged at what I saw during the halftime show of the Super Bowl,” said FCC Chairman Michael Powell in a Feb. 2 statement announcing the investigation. “Like millions of Americans, my family and I gathered around the television for a celebration. Instead, that celebration was tainted by a classless, crass and deplorable stunt. Our nation's children, parents and citizens deserve better.”

All of the commission's other members also released statements denouncing the performance and criticizing CBS executives for letting it slip through.

The investigation reportedly will include the entire halftime show, which contained other elements that apparently offended media critics and pro-family organizations.

Phil Strickland, director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas Christian Life Commission, called the Super Bowl halftime spectacle “regrettable” on several fronts.

“It is regrettable that a performance which was intended for general viewing by persons of all ages ended up being R-rated. It is regrettable that professional singers and dancers have come to feel that singing and dancing is no longer sufficient to entertain their publics,” he said.

“It is regrettable that the NFL's premier venue has passed control of pre-game, post-game, and half-time entertainment into the hands of parties who have nothing to do with football,” he said.

“And it is regrettable that a world that is already suspicious about American values got a bad demonstration of those values. … The inappropriate exposure of Janet Jackson's body parts was only the most sensational moment of a sexually-oriented performance that had no rightful place on the national stage.”

Viacom, Inc., owns both CBS and MTV, which produced the halftime show. According to reports, NFL officials have said they likely will not allow MTV to produce halftime shows for future Super Bowls.

Jackson released a statement apologizing for the incident, and Timberlake released a statement saying he regretted the “wardrobe malfunction.”

The controversy is just the latest to surround the FCC and broadcast decency standards. In January, the commission fined Clear Channel Communications for several raunchy radio broadcasts.

It also has announced it is considering harsher penalties for media outlets violating decency standards.

Powell and the FCC have garnered repeated criticism since last year, when the agency's enforcement arm ruled that U2 lead singer Bono's casual use of a curse word during an NBC awards-show broadcast in January 2003 did not rise to the level of a decency violation.

With additional reporting by Managing Editor Ken Camp.

Posted: 2/06/04

Hands of Luke ministry a
daily walk of faith for its director

By George Henson

Staff Writer

EL PASO–Hurting people need healing for both body and spirit, Marco Samaniego insists.

And that philosophy has guided the Hands of Luke medical ministry since he founded it 10 years ago.

The ministry provides primary medical care for many people in northern Mexico and seeks to make sure the children in the area are well-fed.

Every day, the ministry feeds 500 to 700 children in three nutritional centers and two orphanages in Juarez, Mexico.

It is a ministry based totally on faith in God, said Samaneigo, bivocational pastor of Lakeside Baptist Church in El Paso.

“We don't ever know where it's going to come from, but God always provides,” he said.

“Sometimes churches and businesses and individuals give us money to buy food, and sometimes the food itself is donated, but God always finds a way.”

In addition to providing health care and food, Hands of Luke also offers Bible studies and Sunday worship services.

“Through all these outreach ministries, we really get to know the people and make a difference in their lives,” he said.

As an example, he pointed to 17-year-old Luis Armando.

The young man formerly led a gang, but about a year ago he accepted Christ as his Savior after getting to know ministry volunteers.

“Now he works with one of the mission pastors and has led six other gang members to Christ,” Samaniego said.

That desire to make a difference was evident to Samaniego during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, especially when he considered his family's blessings compared to needs in nearby Mexico.

“It's hard to be thankful when there is a big bird on the table and family all around and know that nearby there are families with little if anything to eat,” he said.

Just before Thanksgiving in 1993, he felt God leading him to find the means to feed 1,000 people that holiday.

“I didn't know how to do it, but I told my wife, 'This is what the Lord told me to do, and we need to get busy because it's only two weeks until Thanksgiving.'”

That year, through the help of area churches and individuals, 1,000 people had a Thanksgiving meal they would not have had otherwise.

Each year since, the ministry has grown. In 2003, more than 13,000 people ate a Thanksgiving meal, including 5,000 inmates in a Mexican prison.

More than 300 volunteers from 25 churches prepare and distribute the food.

Volunteers cook the food, freeze it and reheat it at an orphanage in Juarez, one of the 25 places food is distributed.

Wherever the food is served, God's word is preached, he said.

“We don't do feeding without preaching,” he said.

“Our main goal is to have people come to know the Lord, and then for the churches in the colonias to disciple them afterward.”

At the prison, 300 men made professions of faith in Christ, he noted.

At Christmas, the ministry distributed gift bags to 6,000 children. Each bag contained a toy, fruit, peanuts, socks, underwear and a Bible.

While the ministry has grown each year, Samaniego said he doesn't know what this year will bring.

“This is a ministry of faith. Whatever the Lord gives us to do, that's what we're going to do,” he said.

“It's all under his leadership.”

Posted: 2/06/04

Worship, service, witness all flow from love
for God, evangelist tells Hispanic conference

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

HOUSTON–God gives Christians the desire to worship, serve him and share the gospel, evangelist Samuel Otero told participants at the Texas Baptist Hispanic Evangelism Conference.

Like people falling in love long to be together, Christians should hunger to be with God, Otero said.

In many parts of South America, Christians pack churches and sing praises to God for up to three hours. Some Mexican believers wake early to pray before 4:30 a.m. Sunday school classes. Yet many people in the United States struggle to sit through an hour-long worship service, he observed.

A strong relationship with God transforms Christians, making them more Christ-like and setting them apart from the world, the evangelist said.

As individuals move closer to God, their faith becomes more apparent to non-Christians. Others can see God working.

A bond with God also inspires people to share how God is working in their lives, Otero said. Christians become excited about the blessings God gives them and want to tell others about their experiences.

As God speaks to people, they want to worship him in different ways, including raising hands in a worship service and testifying about their faith, Otero said. Acts of service, such as feeding and clothing needy people, also are ways to worship, he maintained.

Praying for the needs of others reflects one's adoration for the Lord.

“There doesn't have to be any directions,” he said. “My heart tells me when I can worship.”

God is guiding Christians to accomplish “great things,” but they must follow his lead, Otero added. God's power supports Christians through their struggles and helps them impact other lives spiritually.

Verbally sharing the gospel with a non-believer can transform lives, he said.

As proof of that power, Otero recounted his struggle with alcohol abuse to the point of being hospitalized when he started bleeding from his mouth and nose.

He realized his need for God and became a Christian in the hospital. His life turned around, and he became an evangelist.

“To be a good disciple, we need to know how to obey, how to be in love with the Lord,” Otero said.

In addition to bringing people into the faith, “living for God” knocks down barriers between believers, Otero said.

Cultural, social and economic differences begin to fade as Christians come to understand they should live to accomplish God's will.

Worldly matters such as titles and money lose their luster as believers try to spread their faith.

“We are all different nationalities,” he said. “We're just passing through. Our citizenship belongs to the kingdom of God.”

Posted: 2/06/04

Relationships key in evangelism
and worship, Smith says

By Ferrell Foster

Texas Baptist Communications

HOUSTON–Both evangelism and worship are about relationships, Rich Smith told the Hispanic Evangelism Conference.

Evangelism is about “living in right relationship” with non-Christians, and public worship allows them to “see into our love relationship with the Lord,” said Smith, during an English language session of the conference. Smith is executive director of Levi Ministries, a Lubbock group specializing in worship-based discipleship.

Christians often have “turned evangelism into a head game,” appealing only to the minds of non-believers but not to their hearts and souls, Smith said.

“So many times when we're trying to lead someone to the Lord … we're trying to get the truth in their head.”

Christians need to begin to relate with non-believers as Jesus would. Citing the biblical story of the woman at the well, Smith said Jesus “related to her as a real person.”

Shifting to a discussion of worship, Smith observed: “When I think of worship, I think of one thing–relationships.” And relationships involve communication. “Worship is like prayer. They're close cousins.”

Worship, like evangelism, should involve both heart and head. Educators have discovered that people learn in different ways, Smith said.

Some are more “left brain” or analytical, while others favor the “right brain” and rely more on their feelings and creativity.

Jesus “approaches us in a way we understand,” Smith said. But the Lord is “after all of us.” In other words, he seeks to communicate with both sides of the brain.

“Nobody gets off the hook,” Smith said. Jesus communicates in spirit and in truth.

Music provides a connection between both spirit and truth.

“A worship song is a truth barb. … It's going to stay with you,” Smith said.

When word and song are mixed, the truth “sticks with someone longer.”

How does this work with evangelism?

“Your worship is a public display of affection” for God, Smith said.

“It's like the world having a chance to look in from the outside at your love affair with the Lord.”

Seeing such a relationship often leads a non-believer to say: “I want some of that.” Smith called it a “holy jealousy.”

The believer is then able to say: “You can have it. … God is available to all who will take him.”