Provocations and Pantings

The New Provocations and Pantings

2006-12-31T03:01:00.000-05:00

The new blog site is up! Here's the information: URL: www.timmybrister.com FEED: www.timmybrister.com/feed For those of you who have been so kind to link P&P on your website or blogroll, please consider updating the link to the new website. Furthermore, those who have subscribed to this blog would want to update the feed as well given that I will no longer be posting here. At this point,

A New Year, A New Home for Provocations and Pantings

2006-12-29T04:20:00.000-05:00

For the past twelve months, I have contemplated numerous times leaving Blogger but either didn't have the time or the fortitude to follow through with it. I have enjoyed Blogger and the services it provides, but I feel that it is time to move on. For the next three or four days, I will be preparing the new site for Provocations and Pantings. This blog will still exist, but I must mention that

End of the Year Blog Reader Survey

2006-12-26T08:09:00.000-05:00

As I mentioned a couple of days ago, I have put together an end-of-the-year blog survey for blog readers. I know you probably have a million more important things to do this week than answer these questions, but should you choose to fill out this survey, it would be a HUGE help. Here's how you can send in your survey: 1. The easiest way I can think to do this is to copy and paste the

My Lord and My God

2006-12-24T16:43:00.000-05:00

"It will be said on that day, 'Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the LORD; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.'" "you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. For

Upcoming Blog Survey

2006-12-23T20:19:00.000-05:00

As I begin to reflect on the past year in blogging, I have noticed how my blogging has changed, where I have grown, lessons I have learned, new friendships forged, and many encouraging moments along the way. One of the most important aspects of blogging I believe is self-critique. Therefore, I am asking for yours. On Tuesday, December 26, I am going to post a series of questions for those of you

POTW :: 12.22.06 :: oneway

2006-12-22T17:38:00.000-05:00

[click to enlarge] This is a photo of a street sign in downtown Quito, Ecuador taken at the close of our mission trip/culture study from earlier this year. I thought it would be fitting in light of recent posts and the timeliness of the season. Well, after eight weeks, about 30 phone calls (the last three being with the President and CEO of the company), I finally got my laptop back today.

Resources for Gospel-Centered Living

2006-12-21T06:04:00.000-05:00

When Nathan Finn reiterated what Tom Ascol has been saying for years (namely that the Southern Baptist Convention's greatest problem and encroaching danger is the loss of the gospel), I began to think about how to reorient ourselves so that we can be dialed into the message and person of Jesus Christ. The first step is to treasure the gospel and preach it to myself on a regular basis. One of the

Book Alert: Chosen for Life

2006-12-20T14:45:00.000-05:00

One of the programming changes at P&P is to mention some new book releases that I think are important reads. Unfortunately, many bookstores don’t agree with me, and more than likely you will not find these on the front shelves. Because of that, I want to put them on the front shelf of my blog (so to speak) and encourage you to consider them as future reads.

Paul Helm's Deep Theology - Blog Style

2006-12-19T14:25:00.000-05:00

Justin Taylor informs us that Paul Helm has a blog where he is providing many of his papers. If you don't know Helm, he is a fantastic scholar and has written some excellent books (I have read The Providence of God and some of Faith and Understanding). I have been really encouraged this past year with many professors entering the blogosphere to provide their scholarship to the masses of those

On Handling a Doubting Christian

2006-12-18T14:34:00.000-05:00

Suppose a Christian came to you with doubts concerning their salvation, requesting counsel and help from you. How would you direct that person? I believe this is an important question to ask because it is on this matter I believe many professing Christians have been led into a whirlwind of confusion, some having "rededicated" their lives and been "rebaptized" several times. Furthermore, there

The Heart of a Scholar Missionary

2006-12-17T15:36:00.000-05:00

When I was in college, we had interviews with the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions for what they called the "board of aid" scholarship. In these interviews, they would often ask about what we were called to do in ministry. I often struggled with this question because I felt that I would be responding presumptuously, assuming that I had a fixed agenda on God's purpose for my life.

Would Jesus Shop at Wal-Mart?

2006-12-16T10:11:00.000-05:00

Brothers, We Are Not Propagandists What do you think about this???

POTW :: 12.15.06 :: heldinsuspense

2006-12-15T06:47:00.000-05:00

[click to enlarge] This photo was taken at one of the first weddings I had ever taken. Most of my favorite shots come from totally random moments (the benefits of photojournalistic style). I am not a very good, "Okay, let's get everyone together for some formals" kind of photographer. Speaking of wedding photography, I thought I share with you where I get a lot of my inspiration. Below is

Book Alert: Only One Way?

2006-12-14T05:25:00.000-05:00

One of the programming changes at P&P is to mention some new book releases that I think are important reads. Unfortunately, many bookstores don’t agree with me, and more than likely you will not find these on the front shelves either. Therefore, I want to put them on the front shelf of my blog so to speak and encourage you to consider them as future reads. Title: Only One Way?: Reaffirming the

Roman Catholic Inclusivism Presented by Father Michael Manning

2006-12-13T05:17:00.001-05:00

Side Note 1: As you already know, Christmas shopping is full force, which means Christmas shipping is also kicking in stride. Working at the UPS hub, therefore, means double shifting (10 hours a day) every day this week and very little down time. That said, I am not sure how regular my posting will be. Side Note 2: As you can see, the theme for P&P lately has been inclusivism, given that I

Piper on "What Happens to Those Who Have Never Heard the Gospel?"

2006-12-12T16:53:00.000-05:00

On August 18, 2006, Desiring God Radio and John Piper addressed the topic, "What Happens to Those Who Have Never Heard the Gospel?" As the website states, The issue of what happens to those who have never heard about Jesus Christ is a question many people ask. As R.C. Sproul has noted, sometimes the question is phrased this way: "What happens to the innocent person in the middle of Africa who

Being Saved: Dr. Mohler vs. Rabbi Kushner and Father Byron

2006-12-11T13:21:00.000-05:00

Here is inclusivism in living color. And this is also why I attend Southern Seminary. Thank God for men like Dr. Mohler and the faithful, clear, and unapologetic presentation of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Nathan Finn on What Ails the SBC

2006-12-10T18:21:00.000-05:00

Nathan Finn, adjunct instructor at Southeastern College, has written an excellent series called "Some Possible Solutions for What Ails the SBC." Below are the links to all 16 posts in this series. Finn explains that the series began when he first wrote a post called, "Why I Don't Want to be a Southern Baptist Sometimes" and Wayne Hatcher commented with a word of exhortation: Beautiful post.

What Are You Reading Over the Holidays?

2006-12-09T14:08:00.000-05:00

I am always interested in what people are reading at any given point in time. Since many of you are students like me, I was wondering what you are reading over the Christmas break. If you are not a student, of course I would love to know what you are currently reading as well. During the break, I will be working through a series of books that target sin in my life. Devotionally, I slowly

X-Rated X-Mas: Pornaments and the Gift of Christmas

2006-12-08T15:07:00.000-05:00

Catching the news this afternoon, I came across a story that was quite disturbing to me. Spencer Gifts, the store in the mall which caters to the depravity of man, is selling what they call “pornaments.” They are offering 18 different kinds of sexually explicit (X-rated) ornaments depicting reindeer, candy man, snow men, and Mr. and Mrs. North Pole. On the candy man and woman, a caption states,

POTW :: 12.08.06 :: surreal

2006-12-08T05:24:00.000-05:00

[click to enlarge] Alright. I am about to be a little random here on my weekly POTW post. Please bear with me. First of all, I still don't have my laptop. I wrestled with whether or not to file a complaint with BBB concerning the company who I purchased the laptop from, but I am not that type of guy. But a 1-2 week guarantee has turned into 6 weeks now with no certain return date in the near

Mt. Zion, the Gospel, and Katrina

2006-12-08T05:15:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I received my quarterly issue of the Free Grace Broadcaster, a free publication provided by Mt. Zion Chapel Library. While I have enjoyed reading previous issues, this one is particularly helpful because the theme is “The Gospel” and has excerpts from the writings of Thomas Boston, J.I. Packer, Thomas Manton, J.C. Ryle, C.H. Spurgeon, and Jonathan Edwards (that’s quite the list, eh?).

What I Learned from Daddy Dock

2006-12-07T06:00:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago my wife and I had the privilege of going to the Iron Bowl (Alabama-Auburn game). What I didn’t share with you then was how that came about. Ben Dockery, good friend and fellow seminarian, made the offer for us to go with him and his girlfriend, an offer which of course we would not turn down. During the course of the weekend, we had a great time doing a number of things

Audio Book Sale @ Monergism Books

2006-12-07T04:55:00.000-05:00

A few months ago, I really got into audio books. Like many of you, I have a decent commute to and from school, work, and home--totaling about an hour a day in the car. I figured that I could be a better steward of my time if I used it to grow in my relationship with Christ. I did the math and figured that I could listen to approximately one book a month if I listened only 3 hours a week! That

Book Alert: Your Mind Matters

2006-12-06T18:21:00.000-05:00

One of the programming changes at P&P is to mention some new book releases that I think are important reads. Unfortunately, many bookstores don’t agree with me, and more than likely you will not find these on the front shelves either. Therefore, I want to put them on the front shelf of my blog so to speak and encourage you to consider them as future reads. Author: John R. W. Stott Foreword:

Resting On God

2006-12-06T13:48:00.000-05:00

Last Friday I mentioned that I am making it my goal this Christmas break to rest more in God and simplify my life. As usual, I have found that the Puritans communicate my thoughts in prayer so much better than I could ever express, and I found this prayer over the past couple of days very encouraging. I thought I’d share it with you. O GOD MOST HIGH, MOST GLORIOUS, The thoughts of thine

Why I Blog

2006-12-05T13:30:00.000-05:00

About a year ago I had to change my comments policy because several folks were abusing the “anonymous” usage where anyone could comment without a Blogger account. People were saying all kinds of crazy things, and there was no way to find out who they were or hold them accountable for what they were saying. Since then, there have been many folks who have wanted to discuss something I wrote but

Not Sharing the Gospel, eh?

2006-12-04T22:36:00.000-05:00

Don't let the evangelism linebacker find out! At least you better think about wearing some shoulder pads . . .HT :: Andrew Lindsey

Dr. Akin Is a Brave Man

2006-12-03T17:45:00.000-05:00

Since I started blogging some 20 months ago, there have been more attacks against Reformed doctrine than I could possibly begin to recount on this blogpost. Most recently, the inflammatory articles have come with increasing force and greater frequency from key politicians in the SBC. The argument made by many that Calvinism has become the “whipping boy” of the SBC has proved to be unfortunately

John Piper Is Bad - Redux

2006-12-02T21:16:00.000-05:00

As I mentioned last week, John Piper has responded to the "John Piper Is Bad" video put together by Tony using some of my photos from the T4G Conference and DGM Conference. Tony has since then provided an extended version of the video including images of more "bad" folks. Somehow a Mahmoud Ahmadinejad look-a-like got into the video. I happen to know that guy, and trust me, he is bad. Enjoy.

POTW :: 12.01.01 :: settledown

2006-12-01T12:59:00.000-05:00

[click to enlarge] Well, I think it has been a week or two since I posted POTW on Friday. As the school semester has come to a close, I realize that I am exhausted. Seminary life, I must say, is one of the most challenging and demanding periods in a person's life and marriage. While I enjoy the study and rigor of learning and growing in an institutional setting like Southern, it also has its

Unholy Laughter

2006-11-29T12:48:00.000-05:00

Well, I needed a little break from all the serious thinking having to do with my schoolwork this week. Then I found this (HT: Ben Cole).

Nelson Price, Oxymorons, and Morons

2006-11-27T15:21:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I was one click away from posting a very hard response to Nelson Price's loathsome article, "Evangelical Calvinism Is an Oxymoron." As I was getting ready to click the "post" button, I realized a couple of things: (1) I was frustrated and angry, and (2) I had not personally and privately gone to Mr. Price for clarification and a better understanding of his position. As I have learned

Shula Fired

2006-11-27T08:57:00.000-05:00

This morning it was announced that the University of Alabama has fired their football head coach, Mike Shula. Now, I was hoping that they would have given him at least one more year, but the administration obviously thought differently - and forked out the $4 million to prove it by buying out the rest of the contract. I don't think getting yet another coach will answer all of Bama's football

Crossing the Finish Line

2006-11-25T17:06:00.000-05:00

Most of you know I like to try to post daily here at P&P. However, I like many students at this point, am nearing the finish line for this semester at school and find myself staring at several deadlines in less than a week. At this point, I have a book review, two finals, and two papers (30-page paper on evangelical inclusivism and saving faith and a 10-page Greek exegetical paper) all due by

Ascol Questions Riding the Camel

2006-11-22T19:07:00.000-05:00

Tom Ascol has written a very important article in which he calls into question The Camel Method, a way of presenting the gospel through a high form of contextualization in which believers use the Qu'ran as a starting point for sharing the gospel. This is much I would like to say about this, but I am currently strapped with two papers and pressing deadlines. However, I would like to provide you a

Conscious for a Change

2006-11-21T16:10:00.000-05:00

Have you ever given much thought to the habits in your life? Moreover, have you thought about the development and formation of habits? We all have them, both good and bad. Our habits are patterns of behavior that are second-nature to us which develop over a period of time. Very often we are unconscious of our habits, and sometimes when they are bad we choose to minimize the severity of the habit

Top 15 Theological Issues of Our Day

2006-11-20T11:21:00.000-05:00

Over the weekend, I was thinking through some of the most important theological issues and controversies in recent years. One of my goals as a Christian and minister is to be able to address the most important issues and controversies thoroughly and carefully. Here is my top 15 list below. I would love to hear what you think about this list. >> Are there any that I am leaving out? Should one or

Purpose Driven Politics

2006-11-20T11:14:00.000-05:00

What do you get when you have pop-Christianity's rock star on stage with the poster boy of the Democratic Party? You get Purpose-Driven Politics. Maybe Kim Jong Ill will be next on the docket. Who knows?

Two Words

2006-11-18T09:23:00.000-05:00

Iron Bowl. Yeah baby. South endzone - 20 seats up. This is my wife's first Auburn - Alabama game and my first in five years. No blogging. No pictures. Just the pigskin and us. Oh, and did I say we are hitting up Dreamland before the game? Dang it's gonna be good. My prediction: Alabama 24 Auburn 21

Tony Evans on "Transdispensationalism"

2006-11-15T17:12:00.000-05:00

In his book, Totally Saved, Tony Evans attempts to answer the question, “What about those who have never heard?” in the appendix section. Evans argues for an explanation which he calls “transdispensationalism” (rivaled only by transubstantianism in a contest for most theological syllables). What I did not know was that the appendix in which this material is found was NOT printed in the future

Who Said It?

2006-11-15T15:30:00.000-05:00

Here's the quote: “God’s knowledge of the future doesn’t determine the future anymore than our knowledge of the past determines the past. He just knows it.” Now I know this one is a hard one to guess, so I am going to tell you where you can listen to it yourself. Go here and scroll the time toggle over to the 01:18:55 mark. Do you know who else makes statements like this (other than Dick

When Inclusivists Cry Foul: Is Faith in Jesus Christ an Evangelical Celebration?

2006-11-13T22:35:00.000-05:00

In the June 14, 1999 edition of Christianity Today, David Neff, the executive editor, wrote a piece calling for evangelical unity in which he began by saying, No one should be an accidental evangelical—or a merely cultural one. Unfortunately, few evangelicals can actually articulate the gospel. They can lead people to Christ and help them pray the sinner’s prayer, but when it comes to setting

Can Evangelicals Learn from World Religions?

2006-11-11T14:03:00.000-05:00

This is the question asked by Gerald McDermott in his book Can Evangelicals Learn from World Religions? Jesus, Revelation & Religious Traditions (Downer's Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2000). Over the past couple of weeks I have been both listening and reading this book and currently about half way through. Some my initial thoughts and questions included the following: 1. What exactly do you mean by

POTW :: 11.10.06 :: sitinthecorner

2006-11-10T15:06:00.000-05:00

{click to enlarge} Well, it looks like my picture-of-the-week (POTW) posts are turning into little updates on my week and life. This week in particular was a whirlwind, but it was a blast nonetheless. It was a tremendous blessing hanging out with some of the guys, though I did not get the opportunity to witness to James on the airplane. My laptop is still waiting to have its motherboard replaced

Election

2006-11-10T14:40:00.000-05:00

This is a prayer from The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions. In keeping with the topic, I thought this prayer would be good to see how Christians in the past have prayed with regards to the doctrine of election. Holy Trinity, All praise to thee for electing me to salvation, by foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctification of the Spirit, unto

Piper on Pastoral Thoughts Concerning the Doctrine of Unconditional Election

2006-11-08T17:12:00.000-05:00

On November 30, 2003, Pastor John Piper preached a message called “Pastoral Thoughts on the Doctrine of Election.” During his massive expository series through the book of Romans, Piper took a Sunday (at the time of exposing Romans 11) to reflect on the practical benefits of believing and understanding the doctrine of unconditional election. Piper and BBC state that unconditional election

Post-Election Word from Brad

2006-11-08T10:34:00.000-05:00

Here are some brief reflections from Brad at the close of the election. Well it has been a long day and a long few months. A few hours ago, I called to congratulate Sanford Bishop on his win and pledged to work to support him in his efforts to lead this district. Tonight has been strange. I knew when I started that this was an uphill battle, especially

Brad Concedes

2006-11-07T23:45:00.000-05:00

Just a few moments ago, Brad called Sanford Bishop and congratulated him on his victory. With over 90% of the precincts reporting, the gap is insurmountable. Brad has been quite jovial throughout the night and does not consider this necessarily as a "loss," because from the beginning Brad had nothing really to lose. From the thousands of people we

Quick Update

2006-11-07T22:02:00.000-05:00

Just got a second while the precincts are coming in. Right now, there are 60% of the precincts reporting with Brad right at around 40% of the vote. While this does not look good, the four largest conservative counties have yet to post their results, and the early and asbentee ballots won't be added until the end of the reporting. In that case, we are

Is Tuesday "Hughes Day?"

2006-11-07T11:16:00.000-05:00

We'll see? Like much of the country, a considerable number of voters cast their ballots early due to the new rules that you can vote absentee without having a reason. From the reports we are hearing, the results from the early voting is that Republicans are taking the early/absentee votes 2 to 1. As I mentioned in my last post, according to the most

"Choose Hughes" Report

2006-11-07T00:37:00.000-05:00

Brad has been so kind as to allow me to use his laptop to post my reflections on the campaign while traveling to our next destination. Here are my initial thoughts of what is going on. The Flight Sunday night after church, my good friends James Risner, Sean Gould, and I caught a flight from Bowman Field to Blakely, Georgia. We flew on a four-seat Cessna, and I happened to sit in the

That's Just Too Cruel

2006-11-05T01:26:00.000-05:00

As I mentioned earlier last week, I will be leaving today for Georgia with a couple of friends to help out our good friend Brad Hughes in the last days of his congressional campaign. I am not sure whether I will be able to blog in GA given that I do not have a personal computer accessible at this time, but I will inform you on how things turn out. My good friend Dan was kind enough to allow me to

Inclusivism and Saving Faith

2006-11-04T14:10:00.000-05:00

One of the primary research projects I have been working on over the past semester is the role of saving faith in inclusivism. One of the major arguments inclusivism makes is that explicit knowledge of Jesus Christ is not necessary for a person to be saved. In other words, people can be saved without ever knowing of Jesus Christ, who He is or what He came to do, and can benefit from His

Driscoll's Suggestions to Young Men

2006-11-04T13:35:00.000-05:00

Himself a fairly young pastor, Mark Driscoll is aware of the many temptations and dangers of sexual sin. In light of the recent events involving Ted Haggard, Driscoll offers some very good suggestions for ministers, especially young men. Here is what he had to say: 1. The only way to stay away from sin is to stay close to Jesus. Colossians says that we are prone to making a lot of rules but that

POTW :: 11.03.06 :: withoutyou

2006-11-03T16:01:00.000-05:00

Well, I still haven't got my photography post up yet, but when I do, boy will it be good (well not really). This picture was taking on a Sunday afternoon drive back from preaching in Lexington last year. Dan was driving, and I was being goofy with the camera. I didn't think it was all that great of a picture, but the good people of Flickr liked it a bit. I contacted the computer manufacturer,

The Blogosphere on Ted Haggard

2006-11-03T15:26:00.000-05:00

As I was watching the Louisville/West Virginia game last night, I happened to catch during a commercial break the news about Ted Haggard on CNN last night. I knew that this would be big news and was curious to see the shake down. I just did a little blogsearch on "Ted Haggard" and noticed than in the last day, there have been 598 blogposts on Ted Haggard, 160 just in the last hour - everyone

Ichabod Spencer on the Comfort of the Doctrine of Predestination

2006-11-02T16:54:00.000-05:00

In his book, A Pastor’s Sketches, Ichabod Smith Spencer (note to parents: please do not name your kids Ichabod!) shares how he dealt with a man inquiring about God’s election while refusing to come to Christ in repentance and faith. Spencer gives three purposes why the Bible presents the doctrine of predestination. The first purpose is to teach men the character of God; the second is to repress

Harrell's "Grounding Rule"

2006-11-01T15:33:00.000-05:00

Before I break into my post, let me mention a couple of things. It looks like the scarlet “C” t-shirt is in the works. Both Centuri0n and Stephen are making one. You know it might be a good idea to come up with a scarlet “C” t-shirt contest, with each shirt having a caption that follows. You know, “We wear it on our sleeves,” or “Christianity that is more than skin deep” or even have one

Here We Go Again

2006-10-31T12:05:00.000-05:00

William F. “Bill” Harrell, pastor of Abilene Baptist Church in Martinez, is the new chairman of the SBC Executive Committee, the elected body of state convention representatives that develop policies and attend to Convention business between the annual sessions of the Southern Baptist Convention. Morris Chapman, the former Chairman of the committee had this to say of Harrell: “ . . . He makes it

Abraham Booth on Opposition to the Doctrine of Election

2006-10-31T11:37:00.000-05:00

From the back cover: The son of a Nottingham farmer, Abraham Booth (1734-1806) had no formal schooling and taught himself to read and write. He was introduced to the doctrines of grace in 1768, and they completely transformed his faith. They stirred up such a burning love for Christ and his Word that he was prompted to write The Reign of Grace, which was first published in April of that year. In

Hughes for Congress - One Week Away!

2006-10-30T22:51:00.000-05:00

Some of you may remember me sharing with you that my good friend, Brad Hughes (better known as the former editor-in-chief of P&P), is runnning for the U.S. House of Representatives 2nd Congressional District for the state of Georgia. If he wins, he will be the youngest U.S. Congressman in the history of Georgia as well as the first Republican ever to win that district. I just got word earlier

PPT Gospel Presentation by Dr. Stuart Scott

2006-10-30T12:34:00.000-05:00

Dr. Stuart Scott, assistant professor of Biblical Counseling and executive director of the Center for Biblical Counseling here at Southern, has an excellent gospel presentation in powerpoint and the first part is available for download. Dr. Scott shared this presentation in class earlier this semester and thoroughly enjoyed it and thought it presents the gospel of Jesus Christ in a clear and

NT Exegesis and Textual Criticism

2006-10-30T12:14:00.000-05:00

I thought I'd share a couple of links pertaining to New Testament exegesis and textual criticism: ** Roy Ciampa's page of Resources for New Testament Exegesis (HT: JT) ** NT Gateway Textual Criticism (and their blog) ** The Unbound Bible (from Biola) ** Evangelical Textual Criticism Blog ** Center for the Study of NT Manuscripts ** TC: A Journal of Biblical Textual Criticism .

Through Love, Serve One Another

2006-10-28T21:37:00.000-05:00

“For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” - Galatians 5:13-14 At this time every year at UPS, someone goes around asking about any volunteer work or community service that any employee has done, seeking to

POTW :: 10.27.06 :: Broken

2006-10-27T16:32:00.000-05:00

{click to enlarge} Over the past couple of weeks, I have noticed a growing danger regarding apathy in my heart towards my unbelieving friends. It is not a militant apathy but a gradual, casual approach to their souls which is all-the-more alarming to me. Building relationships and spending more time with unbelieving people can exposure you to their lifestyle and sinful rebellion in ways that

J.C. Ryle on Refusing the Doctrine of Election

2006-10-26T11:38:00.000-05:00

In his great book, Old Paths, J.C. Ryle addresses the doctrine of election and concludes with “a few plain words of personal application.” His first word of application deals with those who would want to refuse the doctrine of election, and here is what he had to say (emphasis mine). First of all let me entreat every reader of this paper not to refuse this doctrine of Election, merely because it

Dagg on the "Vessels of Wrath"

2006-10-26T11:17:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I shared the basic outline of John L. Dagg’s chapter on election but stopped short of his treatment on reprobation. The following section is Dagg’s exposition on the title “vessels of wrath” (Romans 9:22) and can be found on pages 313-14 in his Manual of Theology. Those who are not included in the election of grace, are called, in Scripture, “the rest,” and “vessels of wrath.” Why

John L. Dagg on Opposition to Sovereign Election

2006-10-25T13:34:00.000-05:00

John L. Dagg was, according to Mark Dever, the first writing Southern Baptist theologian. His Manual of Theology was published in 1857 which was also the first published systematic theology in the South. Dagg provides an excellent chapter on the doctrine of election in which he addresses its nature and handles several proposed objections which are often brought up even today. Here is how Dagg

Dr. Bruce Ware on the Trinity

2006-10-24T17:31:00.000-05:00

Last Wednesday, Dr. Bruce A. Ware, professor of Christian Theology here at Southern Seminary, gave a faculty address called "Equal in Essence, Distinct in Roles: Eternal Functional Authority and Submission among the Essentially Equal Divine Persons of the Godhead" (sounds Puritan to me!). I wanted to post this last week but the audio was not yet available. You can listen to his lecture by

Piper on Listening Before You Answer

2006-10-23T12:41:00.000-05:00

"If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame." Proverbs 18:13 At the close of last week, I went to a couple of men in my life whom I love and trust and asked them about how I could have better handled the situation that occurred on my post which got out of hand in the comments section. I am grateful for their advice, admonishment, and sound words that I so often need. One

Spurgeon's Discovery of Sovereign Grace

2006-10-22T23:32:00.000-05:00

At the age of sixteen, Charles Spurgeon underwent an experience which changed his life. Follow as he tells his story: When I was coming to Christ, I thought I was doing it all myself, and though I sought the Lord earnestly, I had no idea the Lord was seeking me. I do not think the young convert is at first aware of this. I can recall the very day and hour when first I received those truths [the

POTW :: 10.20.06 :: Fallen

2006-10-20T16:00:00.000-05:00

{Click to enlarge} As I mentioned earlier, I do not have access to anything on my hard drive and cannot edit any of my photos; therefore, I have reached into my Flickr archives and put up a picture from the fall of last year. This was taken in Cherokee Park close to the seminary. As a matter of fact, I still remember that day because I went shooting with my good friend Ben Dockery who, by the

The Works of Jonathan Edwards Online!

2006-10-20T15:24:00.000-05:00

When I read this yesterday, I had to immediately go and check it out for myself. This site is masterfully done and makes the works of Jonathan Edwards easily accessible and quickly researched. Here is a blurb from their site: The Works of Jonathan Edwards Online is now available for use in a Public Beta phase. After thousands of hours of use, loads of email feedback from our initial Closed Beta

Strange BaptistFire Addresses Dr. Vines on Calvinism

2006-10-19T12:49:00.000-05:00

Almost a year ago to this date, I wrote a post called "Who's Next?" in which I made a prediction concerning who would be the next SBC elite to attack Calvinism. I chronicled the previous attacks from men like Adrian Rogers, Johnny Hunt, Jack Graham, Bobby Welch, and Steve Gaines. So who was my guess? You got it - Dr. Jerry Vines. So here's the deal. I along with the rest of the team at SBF will

Laptop Woes and A Brief Response

2006-10-18T14:14:00.000-05:00

When I last responded in the meta from my computer on the last post, I was heading out for my Monday night class. While taking notes during the class, my computer screen went black, and I haven't been able to get it up since then. For the past couple of weeks, I have been having problems with my laptop screen, and the manufacturer told me that the graphics card as overheating. I purchased a

A Question for My Arminian Friends

2006-10-16T04:12:00.000-05:00

On the eve of the night where there was supposed to be a debate over Baptists, Calvinism, and/or omnibenevolence (or something like that), I thought I’d pose a question that I had been thinking about since yesterday afternoon to my Arminian friends. Let me provide the context of my question first if I may. According to the Arminian theological framework, God’s election of a person is

Uh Oh.

2006-10-16T00:59:00.000-05:00

It looks like naughty number five doesn't want to leave the SBC landscape. Go here to see what I mean. Along these lines, has anyone considered what the Guidestone invests in regarding the companies in which they are stockholders? That reminded me to check back to what Tad Thompson revealed in a post back in June in which he provided these examples: Starbucks: I love Starbucks coffee - but

And Now for the Rest of the Story (Of My Trip)

2006-10-14T05:16:00.000-05:00

As a follow up to my thoughts on the Desiring God Conference, I would like to share a little about what I experienced outside the conference, including meeting Larry Backlund, backpacking and photography excursion, and the drive. Meeting Larry Backlund (again) I never cease to be amazed at the providence of God. A couple months ago, I wrote about my disappointment with Billy Graham and

My Belated Thoughts on the Desiring God Conference

2006-10-13T15:59:00.000-05:00

I know, I know. Everyone has already done this; it is two weeks old (really old news in the blogosphere), and I probably won’t say anything someone else has already said. But . . . I would still like to chip in my $.02 if that is okay. 2006 Desiring God Conference I have been thinking about what this conference in the long run will accomplish. People have already adequately addressed

POTW :: 10.13.06 :: Consolation

2006-10-13T04:47:00.000-05:00

{click to enlarge} After a long, six hour drive down the North Shore from Grand Portage (on the MN/Canada border) to the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore (Wisconsin), I missed the last ferry ride over to Madeline Island where I was planning to camp out my final night. It was cool with that because it had rained all day, and I wasn't about to set up camp in the mud and rain around midnight.

Bloggers Are People Too!

2006-10-12T21:47:00.000-05:00

It was only a matter of time . . . To view other buying options, go here. I am looking into this one for my boss, Hershey. HT :: Tim Ellsworth

Christian Audio Book Sale

2006-10-12T21:08:00.000-05:00

Before I left on my trip, I mentioned that I have recently developed an interest in audio books for my drive time edification (along with sermons). Tomorrow, I will share some of my reflections on the trip as well as the DG Conference and a few other things, including the audio books I listened to during my 57 hours of driving last week. Like many of you, I have a little commute to and from

Machen on "Accepting Christ" and Church Membership

2006-10-12T04:03:00.000-05:00

It has been a great grievance of mine to have been so late in acquiring and gleaning from the writing of such men as Carl F.H. Henry and J. Gresham Machen. For the past year, I have been working on catching up on lost time. This past week, I have been reading Machen's book, What is Faith?, and I came across this blurb that I thought was most fitting to the current situation in the SBC.

Chronicling the Greatest Debate That Never Happened

2006-10-11T13:20:00.000-05:00

As far as I can tell, these are the all the posts related to the greatest debate that never happened. After reading some of this, you will wonder how they even made it thus far. I might have missed one or two, so if you catch it, please let me know. I will be updating this with future posts as they come around. I put the posts in chronological order beginning with the original post dated

Reproofs

2006-10-11T04:49:00.000-05:00

Lest anyone think this is a projection on others, I am writing this with the bull’s eye on my own heart. As I reflect on all that has happened over recent days, I have been examining my heart and life with a keen eye on my indwelling sin. Nevertheless, this prayer, I believe, is fitting not only for me, but for all of us as believers. We need godly reproof and rebuke. As David said, “Let a

A Little Light for Your Day

2006-10-10T04:39:00.000-05:00

Of the many things that crossed my mind regarding what I wanted to write today, I could not help but feel spiritually depressed after (1) listening to Jerry Vines (mis)represent Reformed theology at the same time (2) reading Ergun Caner's spin on the debate. So I was led away to a happy place - a place where I was exactly one week ago as I write this post. This sunrise was taken on the shores

2006 Desiring God National Conference - Sunday with John Piper

2006-10-09T14:17:00.000-05:00

Currently, I have uploaded 103 photos from the conference with one final group left to upload - worship, miscellaneous shots, and a few from my visit to BBC. From there, my plans are to upload photos daily from my backpacking and photography trip to the North Shore and Apostle Islands. Here are some of the pictures from John Piper's message on Sunday morning. (Note: Some of the funnier

Unbelievable - Read for Yourself

2006-10-08T21:55:00.000-05:00

Two parts: The first is the latest post from James White explaining why the debate is officially over. The second part consists of a few comments from Liberty students and their response to the debate being cancelled. Read for yourself: From James White: Dr. O'Donnell has verified with Dr. Falwell that there will be no debate on Monday the 16th. Dr. O'Donnell wrote, "Given that the two sides

2006 Desiring God National Conference - Saturday with D.A. Carson

2006-10-08T12:43:00.000-05:00

I realize that it has been over a week since the conference has been over, but I still have more photos to post from the conference as promised. This is a few from D.A. Carson's message on Saturday night. The rest can be found in this album or my Flickr stream. Next set: Piper's message (on Sunday morning).

Caners Renege - Debate Over

2006-10-07T13:51:00.000-05:00

Over the past couple of days, it has been formally and finally announced that the debate which was to take place at Thomas Road Baptist Church between the brothers Caner and James White/Tom Ascol on October 16 is OVER. It is not going to happen. Here’s the cliff notes of what occurred: Tom Ascol wrote a blogpost about Johnny Hunt and the next president of the SBC in which both

POTW :: 10.06.06 :: The Canvas of Split Rock

2006-10-06T12:25:00.000-05:00

{click to enlarge} This was a great moment during my backpacking trip. The sunset was brilliant, the skies were clear, and the temperature was perfect. This is a picture of one of America's most famous lighthouses - the Split Rock Lighthouse on Minnesota's North Shore. I happened to catch an artist completing his work (seen below). I included his shadow on his work as it is symbolic of the

I'm Back - Well Almost

2006-10-05T01:15:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to check in and see how the blogosphere is doing. I'm back out of the woods, though not home. I have spent several hours tonight with my friend Joe, admiring his books and gleaning from his wisdom and pastoral insight. Although I have driven over 2,100 miles, I still have about 500 left, but hey, who's counting? Anyway, I will write more when I am officially ensconced in my blog

I've Been Arched

2006-10-02T01:01:00.000-05:00

In just a few short hours, I head out for some more exciting photography. On my way to Minneapolis, I took several pit stops, the first being an unplanned visit to the St. Louis Arch and the waterfront park area. It was a beautiful sunset, and I happened to catch these at the magical twilight hour. These will be my last photos posted until I get back. In all, it looks like I ended up with

2006 Desiring God National Conference - Saturday with Mark Driscoll

2006-10-01T22:51:00.000-05:00

I just realized that, after looking through my photos of Driscoll, several of them were not well focused. Then I noticed the shirt he was wearing. AF doesn't work well with plaid or stripe designs on clothing, but oh well. Maybe one of you could let Mr. Driscoll know that he needs to conform to the photographer's dress code next time. I mean, if he won't conform to the EC crowd or the

2006 Desiring God National Conference - Saturday with Tim Keller

2006-10-01T00:19:00.000-05:00

Unfortunately, I missed Voddie Bauchum's message in the morning. Joe and I spent part of the morning stuck in Minneapolis traffic downtown as a parade passed by the Metrodome. So we just took pictures of the policemen and watched everyone around us get mad. Anyway, photos are the purpose of my posts, so to the photos I go. Instead of putting all the various photos from Saturday on this one

2006 Desiring God National Conference - Friday Photos

2006-09-30T01:05:00.000-05:00

Well, here is a little sampler of some of the photos I took today. After a long, 27-hour drive in the back roads of America (I crossed seven states), it was good to finally make it to the conference just in time. You can view all my photos from the conference as well as my subsequent backpacking trip in an album I have created on my Flickr page. To use any of these photos for print or

2006 Desiring God National Conference - Initial Thoughts

2006-09-28T12:51:00.000-05:00

Five months ago at the Together for the Gospel Conference, I first saw the video trailer for the 2006 Desiring God National Conference and said to myself, “Self, you’ve gotta be there.” Well, not really, but at that moment I began making plans for this conference which included reading Wells’ book Above All Earthly Pow’rs and changing my original plans of attending the SBC Annual Meeting in

Same Ole, Same Ole

2006-09-28T04:57:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, Dr. Tom Ascol shared that another editor of a SBC state paper (this time the Tennessee Baptist Convention’s Baptist and Reflector), took their editorial privileges to pronounce his woes against Calvinism. Lonnie Wilkey, editor of the Baptist and Reflector, recent wrote an article called “Calvinists have no sense of urgency—Jesus did" in which he reveals a very popular and yet

Next Stop: Apostle Islands

2006-09-27T12:09:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I shared that I hope to spend Monday and half of Tuesday of next week photographing and traveling through Minnesota’s North Shore. The latter half to Tuesday and early Wednesday will comprise my second destination—Wisconsin’s Apostle Islands. Located at the northern most tip of Wisconsin, the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore is a land of pine and hemlock; eagle and bear