In recent days, Matt Svoboda has posted two essays at this site explaining why he has adopted Amillennialism and the problems he has with premillennialism. I was away at a speaking engagement and did not have either the time or the internet access to engage the discussion. So, I thought that I would write a response to Matt’s post and deal point-by-point with his assertions about premillennialism. Matt and I harass each other a lot about eschatology. Frankly, I think he is jealous of me! Neither of us believes that these issues are fundamental to our faith. We agree that those who love … [Read more...] about Contra Svoboda: Answering Matt Svoboda’s Arguments for Amillennialism
Interview with Trevin Wax
Trevin Wax, a rising voice in the SBC, is a brother in Christ and has been helpful to me as of late as I learn the ropes of potentially publishing a book. Further showing his unselfish character, he was gracious enough to allow me to ask him a few questions about the SBC without hesitation. His blog, Kingdom People, is one of the most read Christian blogs on the internet today and his book, Holy Subversion, has been acclaimed by J.I. Packer, Al Mohler, Ed Stetzer, and Russell Moore. I first interviewed him on my blog and it was a great blessing and I pray that this will be for the SBC … [Read more...] about Interview with Trevin Wax
Paige Patterson’s Decision to Speak Alongside Glenn Beck
There has been a large outcry at Jerry Falwell, Jr.'s decision to allow the controversial, Mormon Glenn Beck speak at Liberty University's 2010 Commencement. What hasn't gotten near as much publicity is the fact that Paige Patterson chose to speak on the same stage with Beck. I remember a major uproar over John Piper inviting Rick Warren to Desiring God 2010, but maybe that was a different situation in people's eyes than the Liberty Commencement. I think this is possibly a bigger deal considering the major theological differences between Baptists and Mormons. By major I mean that Mormons are … [Read more...] about Paige Patterson’s Decision to Speak Alongside Glenn Beck
Hiring Pastors: Is It Working?
In typical SBC life, when a church looks for a new pastor you go through the process of establishing a committee, collecting resumes, sorting through the resumes for a handful that have potential, then: ask questions, call references, listen to sermons on CDs or DVDs (or tapes, if we still know what those are), set up meetings, narrow it down to one resume, bring him in “in view of a call,” have a pot luck, Q&A, he preaches, church votes… maybe it’s not all in that order or maybe there’s a piece added or removed but that’s the general gist. (And particularly this is on my mind b/c I’m … [Read more...] about Hiring Pastors: Is It Working?
What I Learned from John Wesley
As I have mentioned briefly in the past, I worked as a Methodist youth pastor for a little over year and embraced Wesleyan theology for about a year before that. After much study and deliberation, I am now a charismatic, 5-point Calvinist Baptist. Quite the shift in theology, but I did retain some Wesleyan influence that I cannot refute or dismiss: Holiness - Though it is wrong to say that a Biblical understanding Eternal Security is a license to sin, it has been abused and excused by its adherents for centuries. Wesley would say that we should be holy partially because we could lose our … [Read more...] about What I Learned from John Wesley
Joe Thorn on Procrastination
Here are some excerpts from a post by Pastor Joe Thorn. It is a great post and I hope you to head over to his blog to read the rest! For years I was a serious procrastinator. In fact, I think I could have gone pro (if that sort of thing paid). So I did what a lot of college students do, putting off assignments until the last minute. But I would justify myself by calling it “time management” and pointing to a solid grade. Of course this was not limited to writing papers in college. It was something that was true of my life in general. On a few occasions and in a couple different contexts I … [Read more...] about Joe Thorn on Procrastination
Jerry Falwell, Jr’s Statement to Glenn Beck: Is the Gospel Secondary to Political Gain?
An IMB missionary told me something interesting on my recent trip to Taiwan. We Americans tend to be far more “patriotic” than people from other nations. Other people appreciate their nations – we love America. There is an increasing conflict among American Christians as to how involved the church should be in political activity. Left wing churches embrace political action as a part of their pursuit of social justice. They have abandoned the gospel for social transformation and embrace political action without shame. But those of us who hold faithfully to scripture have to balance … [Read more...] about Jerry Falwell, Jr’s Statement to Glenn Beck: Is the Gospel Secondary to Political Gain?
Our Cloud of Witnesses
So I’m gearing up to preach on Hebrews 12:1-2 here in a couple of weeks…going to talk about how life is a race and like all races we have to endure. This is a race that takes us through the entire course of our lives and involves everything from the shape our character to our families and jobs to the people we impact and ends only when we come face to face with Jesus. It’s not a race about finishing first (as if we even could, having millions who have finished before we were even born), it’s not about being fast, it’s not even about being graceful (some of the most faithful people have … [Read more...] about Our Cloud of Witnesses
Always Reforming
Some things I love about being a part of the SBC: 1) We have a great love for God’s Word. Admittedly, I wasn’t born when the Conservative Resurgence started; and I was a child when most of the meetings and changes occurred. I’ve merely been a beneficiary. But I have gotten to know some men and women who were there through it all and staked reputations and friendships on one main issue: the Bible. It’s a wonderful thing to be able to hear their words and learn their hearts, and to see the humility, the love for Jesus, and the love for his word. 2) We have a great love for missions. … [Read more...] about Always Reforming
Albert Mohler: Why All Southern Baptists are Calvinists
At the 2006 SBC Pastor's Conference, Albert Mohler listed ways that all Southern Baptists are Calvinists: A belief in the inerrancy of Scripture - "It is not by accident that there are no great Arminian testimonies to the inerrancy of Scripture. We really do believe that God can work in such a way that the human will wills to do what God wills that will to do. And that is exactly why we believe in the inerrancy of Scripture. We do not believe that the Apostle Paul was irresistibly against his will drawn to write the Book of Romans.” A belief in the substitutionary atonement - "The logic … [Read more...] about Albert Mohler: Why All Southern Baptists are Calvinists