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Dave Miller

Is God Judging America?

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I hear there is another hurricane brewing in the Atlantic. That means there will also be another bevy of voices pronouncing God’s judgment on this sinful nation. It happens every time there’s a hurricane, tornado, earthquake, snowpocalypse, or any other natural or man-made disaster. Some Christian identifies it either as a fulfillment of prophecy or an outpouring of God’s wrath against our manifold sin. Of course, many scoff at such an idea. A God of love in an age of grace would never send a hurricane to hurt good, innocent people. He is a God who loves, blesses, and encourages. He does … [Read more...] about Is God Judging America?

Tell Your 9/11 Story

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I am back from Africa with a souvenir virus/bacteria/parasite that my doctor will try to ID today. I hope to add some real stuff soon. But I was reading social media posts where people were giving their 9/11 stories. I remember exactly what I was doing when I heard about JFK. On September 11, 2001, i had a pastors' meeting in my home. Awaiting their arrival I flipped on the TV at the moment the second plane hit the tower on live TV. America has never been the same. Share your stories, thoughts, feelings. … [Read more...] about Tell Your 9/11 Story

Baptist in the Spirit, Part 2: Overview

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We Baptists have some genuine strengths. We tend to love and (in theory, at least) be moored to the word of God. We have programs, curricula, and ministry resources that are unmatched in the denominational or parachurch world. Our Sunday Schools, VBS ministries, youth and discipleship ministries are used even by other denominations. In spite of our statistical woes, we still love the Gospel, the word, and we still preach Christ crucified. Of course, there is the Cooperative program and a sterling worldwide missions program. But the Holy Spirit? Him, we struggle with. We don’t like to admit … [Read more...] about Baptist in the Spirit, Part 2: Overview

Baptist in the Spirit, Part 1: One Thing Changed!

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As much as I love humor, I generally avoid any kind of joke involving the Divine. God’s glory inspires many emotions, but amusement does not seem to be an appropriate one. However, there is a corny old joke that makes a valuable point. A man was trapped in a flood on top of a barn. He prayed, calling out to God and a voice came from heaven saying, “I will save you, my son.” With that confidence, he relaxed on the roof and awaited his rescue. Soon, a man in a canoe came by and told him there was room in the front. The man said no because he was waiting for God to save him. As the waters … [Read more...] about Baptist in the Spirit, Part 1: One Thing Changed!

Why I Devote Little Time to “Calling Out” Left Wing People and Groups

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I hear it all the time. During the election, when I expressed my angst or my disgust about the actions of my former political party, the GOP (technically, due to laziness, I haven't taken the time to officially change my registration), I would immediately and consistently be met with a chorus of, "but what about Hillary?" responses. I was asked why I didn't confront her and condemn her more regularly. That has continued in several different forms but has come to a head recently in the Alt-right, KKK, White supremacist issues that have arisen in our land, especially the one that happened in … [Read more...] about Why I Devote Little Time to “Calling Out” Left Wing People and Groups

Frustration, Irritation, and the Race Issue: Confessions from the SBC Voices “Brain Trust”

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We had a discussion today on our private “editorial board forum.”  That's a fancy term for our private Facebook group that started out as our Pastors’ Conference advisory board. Now it's where we gather to solve the world's problems, talk about sports, and discuss issues related to this blog. "Brain trust" might be a generous term at times, but it's the closest thing SBC Voices has. Today our attention turned to our recent discussions of race. Our contributors here have a wide range of view on many subjects, but on issues related to racial reconciliation, we tend to operate from the … [Read more...] about Frustration, Irritation, and the Race Issue: Confessions from the SBC Voices “Brain Trust”

Robert Jeffress and Romans 13: Troubling Comments

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We Southern Baptists are back in the news this week, and it isn’t for our gospel efforts. A few days ago, in a statement to the Brody File, Robert Jeffress, the pastor of First Baptist Church, Dallas, made this statement. When it comes to how we should deal with evil doers, the Bible, in the book of Romans, is very clear: God has endowed rulers full power to use whatever means necessary — including war — to stop evil. In the case of North Korea, God has given Trump authority to take out Kim Jong-Un. I’m heartened to see that our president — contrary to what we’ve seen with past … [Read more...] about Robert Jeffress and Romans 13: Troubling Comments

We’re Flattered, But…

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I read a few tweets on the SBC Voices Twitter feed last night and I realized that there is a misperception out there among some about who we are. I know you regular SBCers know this, but there are some things I need to make clear. We've been "blessed" recently to have some of our articles referenced in major news articles - pro and con.  It is gratifying to get noticed outside the Baptist world, but folks, we must admit it - we Southern Baptists are weird. People don't understand our structure, our ecclesiology, our autonomy. These links draw people to this site from the secular world, from … [Read more...] about We’re Flattered, But…

Trustees and the SBC: A Key to Our Future

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Trust the Trustees. It is not just a suggestion for Southern Baptists, it is a way of life. You can gripe and moan and rage and resolve and move, but in the end, the direction of the entities of the Southern Baptist Convention is set by the Trustees. Even our actions at the SBC Annual Meeting have far less control over these entities than we think. We approve the budget and we elect the trustees, but the trustees are entrusted with the oversight of the entities. People have railed about the injustice of entities that don't bend and bow to SBC resolutions. They don't have to because entities … [Read more...] about Trustees and the SBC: A Key to Our Future