Besides the Boston Red Sox, who are an evil beyond dispute, what is America's Greatest Evil? A. The Alabama Crimson Tide 2. Bill Belichick/New England Patriots. Third. The existence of hockey. Talk amongst yourselves. … [Read more...] about A Discussion Forum: America’s Greatest Evil
The Zealot and the Traitor
Have you ever stopped to think about the 12 guys Jesus stuck together? Some fisherman, craftsmen, farmers but there are two guys we sometimes miss. The was Simon the Zealot, a political revolutionary who wanted to see Rome overthrown and kicked out of Israel. A Jew for the people. Then there was Matthew. He was a tax collector, a traitor to the Jewish people, collecting taxes for the enemy, the ruling Roman empire. I can't imagine these two guys were close friends. They probably didn't like each other at the beginning, but even after the death of Jesus, they were in the upper room … [Read more...] about The Zealot and the Traitor
The Jeffress-Graham Switch and the Black Vote by Wm. Dwight McKissic, Sr.
Wm Dwight McKissic, Sr. is the pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Arlington, TX. He blogs at Wm Dwight McKissic, Sr. While touring the Dead Sea Scroll Exhibit recently, at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary with President Paige Patterson, Governor Rick Perry, and twenty other Dallas-Ft. Worth pastors and Christian leaders, I was privileged to meet for the first time the pastor of the First Baptist Church, Dallas, TX, Pastor Robert Jeffress. Recognizing who he was from television appearances and public photos—upon seeing Dr. Jeffress, I immediately extended my hand and said to him, … [Read more...] about The Jeffress-Graham Switch and the Black Vote by Wm. Dwight McKissic, Sr.
In Defense of a Christ-Centered Hermeneutic OR A Reply to Dr. Eric Hankins
Yesterday, Dr. Eric Hankins wrote a piece for SBC Today concerning The Gospel Project (TGP) and Christ-centered homiletics. Hankins, recently read the dissertation of Dr. Jason Allen. Allen, is the new president of MBTS. Hankins was intrigued because Allen’s dissertation was on contrasting human author-centered hermeneutics of Walter Kaiser with that of the Christ-centered homiletics of Edmund Clowney and Sidney Greidanus. Hankins was actually surprised that Allen sided with Kaiser and “is calling into question the conventional wisdom of ‘Christ-centered’ hermeneutics”. The point of the … [Read more...] about In Defense of a Christ-Centered Hermeneutic OR A Reply to Dr. Eric Hankins
Southeastern will be a Calvinist seminary over Danny Akin’s dead body (by William Thornton)
The SBC Plodder usually cuts through the fog and does so here. I am reticent about Calvinism-related topics, but this one seemed newsworthy and worthwhile. Thank you, William. Danny Akin, president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, preached a chapel message on October 16th to address what he called a "faulty and jaundiced view of who we [SEBTS] are." SEBTS: What will be our reputation? The message was on the wonderful little book tucked away towards the end of the New Testament, 3 John. Akin said that "in recent days there are those who either ignorantly or maliciously … [Read more...] about Southeastern will be a Calvinist seminary over Danny Akin’s dead body (by William Thornton)
Will We Gain the White House and Lose Our Souls?
Let me start off by making two statements, just to clarify. I want to see a new occupant in the White House in 2013, in the worst way. I think Barack Obama's policies are dangerous and destructive to the future of America. I don't have a huge problem voting for a Mormon to be the next president. Romney was not my first choice (Tim Pawlenty), my second choice (Herman Cain) or my third choice (Rick Santorum - for whom I caucused). His false religion was a part of my desire to find another candidate. But when he became the nominee, I made peace with that. So, I am a conservative … [Read more...] about Will We Gain the White House and Lose Our Souls?
You Might Be a Tongues-Speaker, If…
Back in August, Mike Leake (one of our contributors here) wrote a three-part series on his own blog about the pros and cons of spiritual gift testing (I link here to the third part, as it has its own links to the first two). One thing he mentioned that hit me with one of those “well, duh, why didn’t you ever think of it that way” moments, was the fact that when Paul wrote his letters to the churches of Corinth and Rome (the two letters where we find the most significant spiritual gifts listings), he wrote to two different churches in two different situations. That sounds straightforward … [Read more...] about You Might Be a Tongues-Speaker, If…
A View of Rome
As anyone who has followed what I have written on blogs in the past six years or so will be aware, an issue about which I am very interested and concerned is that of a biblical approach to Christian unity. One of the most important and thorniest aspects of Christian unity, in my opinion, has to do with how we as Evangelicals (and as Baptists) should relate to Roman Catholics and to the Roman Catholic Church at large. Having served for 18 years as a missionary in Spain, a country which traditionally has had an overwhelming Catholic majority but which in recent years has become increasingly … [Read more...] about A View of Rome
Whither “Prayer Meeting?”
It wasn't that long ago that Baptist churches were marked by five key services a week - Sunday School, Morning Worship, Training Union, Evening Worship and Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting. Training union was the first to enter the endangered species list, and Sunday night worship is not far behind. I would guess that Sunday night worship is now held at a minority of Baptist churches, but I've not seen statistical evidence on that. Certainly, it is true in Iowa. Wednesday night prayer meeting may be the next on that list. I am just wondering, as a discussion question, what you do at your … [Read more...] about Whither “Prayer Meeting?”
How Much Discipleship Ought We Do BEFORE Baptism?
If you have been in ministry any length of time, you could compile a list for me of people who have offered themselves for baptism, seemed to know all the right answers and evidenced a strong profession of faith. Then, after the baptism, the faith that flamed fizzles fast. Where are they now? Who knows? It is an all-too-common story. And any genuine minister of the gospel is bothered by that story. Did I fail to examine the candidate for baptism well enough? Should I have done something more? Something different? One human and understandable response to this unfortunate story is for … [Read more...] about How Much Discipleship Ought We Do BEFORE Baptism?