Do you know a “close talker” - someone who stands too close to you as they talk. When conversing with a close talker, I find myself slowly backing up, trying to get some distance, to maintain my “personal space.” There it is; a mantra of our culture. “Don’t invade my personal space.” It makes me very uncomfortable when someone stands too close. Each of us has a sense of territory and we want people to respect our privacy, our personal space. There are a lot of theological close talkers, who are not content to leave others their own personal space on issues of conscience. On most issues, … [Read more...] about Personal Space Issues: Every Christian Has a Conscience! (Brick Walls, Picket Fences 12)
I Have a “Gospel” Problem
The gospel is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes - from every tribe, nation and language on earth. We forget that to our own detriment. "The gospel" is also a buzzword among young evangelicals, who talk about being gospel-centered and gospel-focused. Nothing could be better. We need to understand the gospel and to proclaim it clearly and forcefully. Everything we do must be gospel-centered and gospel-proclaiming. But I have a small problem with the "gospel" talk that goes on. Of course, there are some who use "the gospel" as a theological wedge. "My group … [Read more...] about I Have a “Gospel” Problem
My Take on the Doctrine of Election
Election is both conditional and unconditional. Election is unconditional in that it doesn't stem from any merit found within a human being; God simply chooses to provide salvation because of His inherent goodness, grace, and mercy (cf. Titus 3:5). A major advantage of examining soteriology from the perspective of unconditional election results in the understanding that salvation can't be "earned" or even "obtained" from one's inherent ability. Salvation is truly the gift of God (Eph. 2:8-9) and comes from God alone. Election is conditional, however, in that it requires a faith and … [Read more...] about My Take on the Doctrine of Election
Moderating and Advocating
Although I am not a moderate, I do serve as a moderator. Since our church bylaws give the Pastor that responsibility, I do this about ten times per year. Occasionally, I run into that fairly rare situation in which my role as Pastor places me in the best position to speak intelligently about a concern, to actively propose or describe a situation in church life, or to address a matter from the perspective of one who is advocating a certain course of action. I certainly understand that it is not the moderator's role to advocate a position, but frankly, to guide the discussion, rule on … [Read more...] about Moderating and Advocating
To Me or Not to Me?
Yes . . . that's me. Front and center on the merry-go-round, a fitting metaphor for much of my life, round and round he goes; where he'll end up, nobody knows. For too long, it depended on who was pushing and how hard. Just keep smiling and whirling . . . until you fall off. In the early days, someone picks you up and stretches a band-aid across your knee and offers you a Popsicle and tells you to hang-on better and go a little slower. In later days, they point and whisper and you are but a silly fool who should have known better than to go on the ride in the first place. The pain of the fall … [Read more...] about To Me or Not to Me?
The Difficulties of Divorce and Remarriage
On Henry Ford’s fiftieth wedding anniversary, he was asked for some advice on how to achieve marital bliss and longevity. He replied, “Just the same as in the automobile business, stick to one model.” The Bible is crystal clear; divorce is a sin. According to the Bible, marriage is a lifetime commitment. Jesus referred to married couples by saying, “So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate” (Matthew 19:6). Malachi 2:16 further reveals God’s heart in regards to this issue: “I hate divorce, says the LORD God ofIsrael.” Clearly, … [Read more...] about The Difficulties of Divorce and Remarriage
Five Questions with….an IMBer from Birth
The answers for today’s Five Questions come from Cleopatra Cloppenclapper. Miss Cleo has spent her entire life as an MK/missionary with the FMB/IMB/imb connecting, which is to say about half a century. I could have said she’s been around for 50 years, but “half a century” sounds far, far older. She's the most colorful M I know. She's tatted, pierced, and dyes her hair more often than I check my oil. When she was younger she worried about freaking out the older missionaries. Now that Miss Cleo is so old she's stopped buying green bananas, she worries about scaring off the younger … [Read more...] about Five Questions with….an IMBer from Birth
If I Were the Pope of the SBC…
I know, we don't have one and don't want one. We believe in soul competency and the priesthood of the believers. But the idea of having unfettered power to implement my ideas has its appeal. Here are some things I would do if I had papal power for a while. You can add your papal bull (sorry, I couldn't resist that bit of Iowa corn) in the comments below. Or you can describe your pleasure that I, in fact, have no power. 1) I would change the way we do seminary edumacation. I've thought a lot about this one. I've seen young whippersnappers come out of seminaries with heads full of … [Read more...] about If I Were the Pope of the SBC…
Does the Bible Provide a Clear Structure for Church Governance?—2
Part Two: Church Authority and Conclusion Last time… In the last post, we began to consider whether or not the Bible provides a clear structure for the church. Specifically we examined what the Bible says about the leadership offices: Elders (or overseers or pastors), and Deacons. This time, we’ll look at the issue of church authority. From the last post, I already posited one thing about authority: the deacons are not an authoritative office, except so far as they’re given specific and limited oversight of certain tasks as delegated by the elders. This leaves us with the question: … [Read more...] about Does the Bible Provide a Clear Structure for Church Governance?—2
Does the Bible Provide a Clear Structure for Church Governance?—1
Part One: Introduction and Church Leadership Introduction Dave Miller wrote a piece about elders in the life of the church, and why he doesn’t consider it to be a big issue one way or the other. Within the thread comments the idea was teased out that the Bible does not mandate a particular structure for church government. Instead of structure, the focus is upon the character of the leaders and then needs and other influences helped develop unique structures from church to church (city to city). I wholeheartedly agree that character is more important than structure. It doesn’t … [Read more...] about Does the Bible Provide a Clear Structure for Church Governance?—1