SBC Voices

Paul’s Pastoral Landscape, Is it Like Ours? An alarming trend to give up   The American pastoral landscape today is bleak.  Fewer and fewer men are committed or sold-out to serving Christ.  By committed and sold-out, I mean willing to go through the greatest of difficulties, and not give up.  I’ll take it a step further and say, there is an unwillingness to go through those difficulties with Christ-like humility and honor.  It might be ministry did not turn out the way you expected; maybe you did not end up in the “hotspot.”  Whatever the situation and circumstances, I am concerned by … [Read more...] about Paul’s Pastoral Landscape; Is it Like Ours???

I conducted a little experiment several months ago. I joined LinkedIn. LinkedIn is "a business-oriented social networking site…mainly used for professional networking." After I joined LinkedIn, the site instructed me to complete my profile. The profile included basic biographical information, the content of my C.V., and a listing of skills. I completed all of the requested information. Boy, did I! And this was the whole point of my experiment from the get-go. I listed more skills than you can possibly imagine. Everything I even remotely have the ability to do, I listed. Now—and this … [Read more...] about LinkedIn Lying (by Bart Barber)

Dear Olivia, I feel like this is a good year to write you this letter. You’re twelve now. You’re starting to learn a lot more about how the world works, and there are some things that I think you need to know. I want to start off, though, with an apology that I think I owe you. I don’t feel compelled to offer the same apology to your younger siblings, but I owe it to you. You see, you are not growing up in the world that your Mom and I brought you into. Some things changed between your birth day and your first birthday. Those changes showed me that you are growing up in the wrong … [Read more...] about Reflecting on Twelve Years (by Doug Hibbard)

No, Mike Leake is not publishing today and this is not a spoof. Joel Rainey, whose posts appear on SBC Voices regularly, is appearing in primetime tomorrow night on Al Jazeera America's television network. Here is the press release information I received. Dr. Joel Rainey, Director of Missions for Mid-Maryland Baptist Association, will be appearing on “The Stream,” a national news program on the Al Jazeera America Network, at 7:30 PM (Eastern) this Wednesday. This edition of the show will occur on the 12th anniversary of September 11, 2001, and will feature Dr. Rainey alongside religious … [Read more...] about Joel Rainey to Appear on Al-Jazeera America Network Wednesday Night

That's what I'd like for this year to be for Southern Baptists: A Jonathan Edwards moment. A moment in which the Holy Spirit moved to do something remarkable among God's people. A moment in which the direction of the country was changed. A moment in which believers who trusted but little, hoped sparingly, and thought God powerless learned otherwise. Jonathan Edwards hoped for such a day and saw it. His yearning for it is best expressed, perhaps, in his work An Humble Attempt to Promote Explicit Agreement and Visible Union of God's People in Extraordinary Prayer for the Revival of Religion … [Read more...] about A Jonathan Edwards Moment (by Bart Barber)

The Queen James Bible, published in November 2012, is a “translation” which purports to edit King James Version passages condemning homosexuality.  Claiming “interpretive ambiguity,” the editors flatly state“We edited the Bible to prevent homophobic interpretations,” assuring their readers that the bible says nothing about homosexuality.  Further, in what amounts to a clear demonstration their complete disregard for historical-grammatical/canonical-contextual exegesis, the QJV editors posit  that “things like Leviticus are horribly outdated.”  Focusing largely on the Leviticus and Romans, … [Read more...] about The Queen James Version: A “Gay” Bible (by Randall Cofield)

Friends, read this article quickly as it will likely disappear soon. There is only one reason this got published; namely, Dave Miller doesn't know much about computers. Due to a massive oversight I still have some admin powers on Voices. I have the power--at least for the time being--to post an article without Mr. Dave's permission. Here it is...likely my last post on Voices. You might have noticed that Borrowed Light (my blog) no longer appears on the SBC Voices watchlist. You've probably assumed that I've been busy or just stopped writing altogether. That's not true. I've just been … [Read more...] about The Truth About SBC Voices

This semester I am teaching a course on Contemporary Worldviews, and also reading some of Abraham Kuyper’s works. He is one of the men attributed with the formalization of the “Christian/Theistic Worldview.” In view of some current controversy concerning Kuyper, and his ability/inability to “transform,” the Dutch culture in a more permanent way, I thought I might include some considerations. When thinking about Kuyper’s ability to transform the Netherlands, it might be beneficial grasp his perspective. The worldview dilemma has not always been so disjointed and confusing. Until the 17th … [Read more...] about “Kuyperian Worldview” in the Midst of Current Chaos

This message is offered as a response to Bart Barber’s request that I offer my “…understanding of the narrative passages in Acts, to refute points that I have tried to make…” Barber made this statement in the comment stream under his post, “The Nature of the Biblical Gift of Tongues:  Consideration of Relevant Narrative New Testament Passages“ This is also the message that I preached in Chapel at SWBTS in August 2006 that, in many ways, defined or redefined my relationship with Southern Baptists. I hope this message answers Bart’s questions about my view of the Acts narrative passages as they … [Read more...] about THE BAPTISM AND FILLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (By Wm. Dwight McKissic, Sr.)