"[F]or God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control" 2 Timothy 1:7 I believe that, but I am seeing a spirit of fear in Christians today, and it makes me nervous. It seems like Christians are afraid to stand up for things, we are afraid of the world. We are afraid of the school systems, we are afraid of tricker-treaters, we are afraid of the corporate world, the secular world, we are afraid of those who can kill the body, even though Jesus told us not to be. We hid ourselves, our kids and we try not to let the world get to us, as we wait for the magical pre-mill … [Read more...] about What Are We So Afraid Of?
SBC Issues
Epilogue (at least for now) to our Calvinism Discussions
I'm not shutting these posts down or anything, but the discussion seems to be winding down to the "gnawing on the bones" phase, so let me do a little post-mortem observation. This is, of course, my opinion, which I hardly need to say you are free to disagree with. 1) The thirst for discussions of Calvinism is almost unquenchable. If you look at the statistics here the last 48 hours, you will see that. I try not to write things just to "stir things up" but if I was going to do that, I'd either write about alcohol or about Calvinism. 2) I remain convinced that the Calvinism issue is … [Read more...] about Epilogue (at least for now) to our Calvinism Discussions
What is Primary? (Round Two)
I have done this post before, but always enjoy the conversation it brings. Here would be my (current) primary, secondary, and tertiary issues: PRIMARY: Trinity Hypostatic Union Christ's Resurrection Christ's Second-Coming Authority and Inerrancy of Scripture The Virgin Birth Subsitutionary Atonement Justification by Faith Alone SECONDARY Calvinism/Arminianism Cessationsim/Continuationism/Charismaticism Believer's/Infant Baptism Women in Ministry Denomination (usually informed by secondary issues within Orthodoxy) TERTIARY Church … [Read more...] about What is Primary? (Round Two)
William Dwight McKissic, Sr: The Voice of One Crying in the Wilderness – In Defense of Herman Cain
Editor: William Dwight McKissic, Sr is a voice of conscience for the SBC on race related matters. This post is one of the more political posts you will see on SBC Voices, but I think that more than politics is at stake here. I appreciate our brother's contribution. The liberal media, conservative Republicans who support rival candidates and African American civil rights leaders who strongly support the Democratic Party and liberal causes, have unwittingly formed an unholy trinity to defeat and destroy the presidential aspirations of Herman Cain. The purpose of this article is not intended … [Read more...] about William Dwight McKissic, Sr: The Voice of One Crying in the Wilderness – In Defense of Herman Cain
What Should a Newtonian Calvinist Say in a Pastoral Interview?
I have been breaking one of my rules lately. I have…gulp of shame…been reading far too many comment threads on blogs. Even worse these blog posts have been about…choking down the shame of broken resolve…Calvinism. While indulging the part of my brain that lacks sound judgment, I have witnessed a common thread. This thread presents itself as a forceful suggestion that Calvinist’s should be upfront and honest about their Calvinism and intentions of “reforming the church” in the interview process. I figure those that mention this have a couple of different scenarios in their mind. One … [Read more...] about What Should a Newtonian Calvinist Say in a Pastoral Interview?
Not all Calvinists are Created Equally
No one likes being stereotyped, but we do it. Often, we deal in generalities, cause it takes too long to deal with specifics. We talk about "Baptists" or "Evangelicals" or "Southerners" or "Calvinists" or "Pagans" or "Nebraska Fans" or whatever. We just make some broad and sweeping generalities and just assume that everyone in that category is the same or similar. The reality with Calvinism, however, is that it's such a broad term it's hard to pin down what that really means. Instead of defining "Calvinism" I am going to tell you what I think, and you can decide if I fit your view of … [Read more...] about Not all Calvinists are Created Equally
Dr. Mohler’s 2010 Statement on New Calvinism: Not Helpful!
I am a fan of Dr. Al Mohler! I am glad he is one of our leaders. I am constantly amazed at Dr. Mohler's ability to articulate his positions. His statement on homosexuality at the SBC Annual Meeting this year was one of the best, most concise and biblical statements of a Christian approach to the subject I've ever heard. I've seen Dr. Mohler on national programs and always have been impressed at his ability to express unpopular biblical ideas in a persuasive way. When he speaks, I listen. And usually I think he hits it out of the park! In a video from 2010 that has recently been … [Read more...] about Dr. Mohler’s 2010 Statement on New Calvinism: Not Helpful!
Theological Discrimination in Kentucky
After reading Dr. Steve Lemke’s first post on SBC Today about the decision of the Daviess-McLean Baptist Association in Kentucky to not allow Pleasant Valley Community Church to join their association, I began drafting a response. He stated he would post a second time, so I waited until I could read his whole argument. That article is up now, and I’ve since rewritten almost the entire article I’d planned to write. Fully recognizing Dr. Lemke as a brother in Christ, I believe his strong bias against Reformed doctrine has colored his perspective to the point that he’s completely wrong in his … [Read more...] about Theological Discrimination in Kentucky
Is it Hard to Hug a Calvinist?
Yes, it is sometimes hard to hug a Calvinist. While I don't mind them embracing a different theology, I often find it hard to get past two key issues: (1) a superior attitude, and (2) a takeover mentality. Lest I be accused of stereotyping, of lumping and dumping, let me say at the start that while every Calvinist does not fit this mold, so many do that it poisons the pot for everyone else. Let me briefly illustrate the two offenses before I run for cover. 1. Superior Attitude The superior attitude suggests that no reasonably thinking Christian scholar, pastor or theologian who takes … [Read more...] about Is it Hard to Hug a Calvinist?
A Day Devoted to Calvinism at SBC Voices!
Calvinism is never far from the front pages in the Southern Baptist Convention. It is a crucial topic and one of the hardest to discuss in a calm and productive manner. On September 15, I published an article saying that any future discussions of Calvinism here would have to be productive, not derisive. That is a hard thing to manage, and more than a few of you will think today that I violated my commitment on the subject. But we cannot be "SBC Voices" without addressing the subject that is at the root of much of the SBC's splintering. So, today we will be talking Calvinism all day - … [Read more...] about A Day Devoted to Calvinism at SBC Voices!