Ascol/White Vs. Caner/Caner

Ok, here is what you all have been waiting for.

Baptists and Calvinism: A Debate at the New Thomas Road Baptist Church, Lynchburg, Virginia
Monday, October 16th, 2006, 7pm, at the New Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Virginia. A debate on Calvinism, featuring:
Speaking against "Calvinism" will be the Dean of Liberty Theological Seminary, Dr. Ergun Ehmet Caner. Dr. Caner has been a vocal critic of Reformed theology in Baptist life. He is the author of numerous books and a professor at Liberty University in Lynchburg.
Joining him will be his brother, Dr. Emir Caner of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Dallas. Dr. Caner is likewise an author, and both Caners are converts from Islam. You can visit Dr. Ergun Caner's website here, and Dr. Emir Caner's website here.
Speaking in defense of "Calvinism" will be the President of the Founder's Ministries, pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Cape Coral, Florida, author and lecturer, Dr. Tom Ascol. In his role with the Founder's movement Dr. Ascol has often addressed the issue of the role of Reformed theology in historic Baptist life. Dr. Ascol has likewise spoken for us in our conferences, and will be part of our conference in November in Orlando as well.
And I have the great privilege of joining Dr. Ascol in defense of "Calvinism." This will be my fifth opportunity in sixty formal debates to specifically address the doctrines of grace and give a biblical defense of my faith.
There will be no cost for admission. The debate will be audio and video recorded and will be made available through the ministries of those involved.

Will you join me in praying for:

1. God's Word to be proclaimed and explained truthfully.
2. Open minds & hearts to be had by all in attendance.
3. A humble spirit to be exhibited by all involved.
4. For God's glory to be the ultimate aim of the evening.

It is doubtful I can make this trip, so I will be anxiously awaiting the recordings of this debate.

Without Excuse

Let me go ahead and set this article up exactly like Justin Taylor did.

You finally have that opportunity to explain the gospel to that co-worker who has been asking a few questions of late. She tells you that one of the things that keeps her from taking religion seriously is that each one claims absolute, final truth. Obviously, they can't all be right, since they contradict each other at key points. Can a Japanese Buddhist really be held accountable for accepting Christianity if Buddhism has been his only frame of reference? How then can we continue to say that Jesus is the only way? How can we say that God cannot be truly known, at least in a saving way, unless one has been exposed to the Christian Scriptures somehow? Religion all seems hopelessly naive and impossible. More than that, it seems to fuel the religious strife that drives intolerance around the world. As a result, your co-worker has simply adopted the cultural dogma of tolerance that assumes a pragmatic view of religion. Buddhism "works" for one person, Islam for another, and Christianity for still others. The belief that religion is therapy more than truth seems pervasive, in evangelicalism as everywhere else.

You'll have to read the article from Modern Reformation Magazine to see how Michael Horton answers these questions.

(Tar Heel Finger Point (hereafter THFP): Justin Taylor)

Final 4 Predicts

Keeping with the basketball theme.

As others have said, I am not a prophet or a son of a prophet, but here are my final 4 pics which I picked before the tournament began...I promise.

Atlanta Region: LSU (Still alive)
Oakland Region: UCLA (Still alive)
Washington D.C. Region: UCONN (Still alive)
Minneapolis Region: BC (Still alive)

Championship game: UCLA vs. UCONN
National Champ: UCONN

Its wait and see time!

Anyone else want to share their picks?

T4TG Blog

Those of you who have not been keeping up with the Together for The Gospel blog are missing out, especially you basketball fans. What I particulary am enjoying is CJ Mahaney's strong distaste for a particular basketball team located in Durham, NC. I share Pastor Mahaney's strong dislike for this team and also refuse to even type the name. What a wise man he is. Anyway, this combined with the pastoral encouragements, which all of us Christians can use whether we are pastors or not, is making this blog a great read.

USA Today Article on Franklin Graham

There is an interesting article on Franklin Graham over at USA Today. You can read it here.

Overall it seems good that Franklin stands firm for the Gospel, and my personal experience hearing him on the radio would back that up. I just hope his organization's Gospel presentations are the true Gospel and not the watered down imposter that is so rampant today. For more on that check out the Way of the Master link over on my list of sites.

Vocational Calling

On a discussion board I lurk at, one of the posters there brought to my attention an excellent article from the Westminister Theological Seminary Bulletin. I think it is dead on in how the American Church today divides vocational calling. I know I agree with the article and still have to fight my own tendancy to elevate "full-time Christian ministry" as the peak of Christian piety, maturity, and service before God. Here is the article. It is well worth the short read. I have put in bold the central paragraph. Comments are vociferously welcome.

Calling in Every Area of Life by William Edgar

Calling in Every Area of Life
by William Edgar
Professor of Apologetics, Moderator of the Faculty

Arguably the most significant book for late Medieval piety is Thomas à Kempis’ De Imitatione Christi. Still popular today, it contains many valuable teachings about sanctification. But it has a fundamental flaw. One can sense the problem by looking at the full title: On the Imitation of Christ and Despising All Vanities on Earth. An even more brutal translation says: and Contempt for the World. According to this kind of piety, the world is altogether a distraction from our proper calling, which is to draw close to Christ.

At first, monasteries were crucial parts of the preserving and nurturing of civilization. But gradually monks and nuns became isolated from the world, unable to relate to the religious aspirations of the laity, nor to some of the innovations of the day, such as the printing press and nascent science. Calling, or vocation, was defined as “devotion,” meaning a narrow and intense dedication to the sacred.

The Protestant Reformation blasted through this split universe. Because of their robust understanding of creation and of the so-called cultural mandate (Genesis 1:24-31; Psalm 8:5-9), Luther, Calvin, then the Puritans, and other post-Reformation orthodox, proclaimed the vocation of every Christian. The idea of the priesthood of all believers issues in the conviction that we are all called to work in the everyday world. Thus, farming, artistry, parenting, citizenship—all are a part of our vocation before the Lord. Luther, who was given to extravagant statements, once declared that the work of the least householder was worth more than that of all the priests, monks, and nuns put together! He did not disparage the ordained ministry; quite the contrary. Yet he found much of the monastic life of no use in the Kingdom of God. He urged all clergy to marry and work with their hands.

This radical, biblical idea led to many results. When Calvin came to Geneva, some 400 people were in the employ of the church, yet the city was known for its corruption and degenerate life. After his arrival, church employees were reduced to a handful as other jobs were found for former clerics, and public morality improved. Work, according to Calvin, is not socially demeaning, but honorable, though toilsome. William Perkins wrote extensively on how to find one’s calling in life. He carefully compared the gifts of each person to the surrounding needs and opportunities. In countries where the Reformation took root, a higher standard of living could generally be found, since everyone was accountable to God for his or her livelihood.

Today we are in danger of returning to a Medieval model, not so much through the attraction of the monastic order, but in making evangelism or “soul-saving” such a priority that areas such as social justice, business, politics, science, or the arts, are neglected. Many evangelicals believe missions is the highest calling, followed by the pastorate, or other kinds of “full-time Christian service.”

To which we must say, No! Every kind of Christian service is full-time. The gospel applies to every sphere of life, as Abraham Kuyper would remind us. Of course, evangelism is important. But if we engage in it without at the same time recognizing the legitimacy of calling into every realm of life, we are becoming “so heavenly minded we are no earthly good.” Heaven, though, is the earth remade. The New Jerusalem comes down from heaven. But Jesus opens the door, now. Heaven is not a far away place, but the place where God reigns, and he reigns right here! The seventh angel of the Revelation blows the trumpet, and loud voices proclaim, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever” (11:15).

Sam Logan’s full time Christian service for over twenty years has been as dean of students, academic dean, and then president of Westminster. His calling today is to the chancellorship. In his administration we moved from being pre-technological to being “smart.” He inaugurated the Contemporary Issues Conferences, which exhibited the Kuyperian principle that says every sphere belongs to Christ. He stressed our impact around the world, not only by multiplying our campuses, but also by bringing world Christian leaders to them to be trained in the Reformed worldview and then return to strengthen the kingdom in their respective countries. In all of these areas, and many more, he refused the Medieval sacred-secular dichotomy, but instead led Westminster to equip leaders who could equip others in every walk of life. We wish Sam and Susan well in this new vocation. May they not only bring glory to God, but enjoy him thoroughly, and forever.

Shepherd's Conference

For those of us who could not attend the Shepherd's Conference out at John MacArthur's church, Grace Community, here is a link to Tim Challies' site where he is live blogging. Enjoy.

Russ

Theological Diversity in the SBC (and everywhere)

Disclaimer: I am no longer a Southern Baptist, but grew up in that denomination and still follow its current condition with interest.

In Dr. Ascol's latest blog over at The Founders Blog he discusses what he sees as the different visions that are represented today in the Southern Baptist Convention. Among them he mentions the Theonomic and the Theonomic light visions. Aspects of these visions include ""taking back America for Christ"", "recovering our great Christian nation for Jesus", and getting "prayers back in our public schools and the Ten Commandments posted in our courtrooms and classrooms again." Finally about the latter vision he says, "By issuing boycotts and economic threats these folks believe that they are heavily involved in cultural engagement and combatting worldliness on major fronts. Neither Disney nor Hollywood should expect to be ignored if this vision carries the future in the SBC."

Now, let me say I highly respect Dr. Ascol and his views, and agree with him 99% of the time. But my comments will reveal, I believe, a disagreement over his implied disparagement of those who participate in the above activities. In the comments section of this blog post by Dr. Ascol, number 23 I believe, a commenter named "Rod" asks this: "What's wrong with a "theonomic" and a "Tom's View" blend? Can a serious Calvinist who cares about church reform, also care about America's reform?"

This is my question exactly. What is inherently wrong with fighting for the right for prayer in public schools or to display the 10 commandments in public venues around America? Now, if Dr. Ascol is speaking of Christians who ONLY boycott, and whose only Christian duty is to get the 10 commandments placed in public places, then I have to agree that these activities in and of themselves are not enough for the Christian. But I have to continually ask myself and others, why do we think people who do this do not also love the church and seek Biblical fidelity for the church? Why can't we fight for the right to have the 10 commandments displayed, and at the same time proclaim to the lost that they are under God's wrath because they continue to defy these 10 commandments? For some, this may be their only introduction to God's law. Why can't we be upset when corporations want to deny us the right the call Christmas Christmas, and at the same time explain to these same people that they are currently under the condemnation of the God they want to try and supress. What is inherently wrong with trying to work within our culture to make it a better place for all people, and at the same time being faithful to our churches and communities and living out our lives as servants of Christ? Isn't that what part of loving our neighbor is all about? Do we just share the gospel with our culture and if they reject it tell them fine, go ahead and continue killing your babies, that is of no eternal significance to me? I am continually amazed and the false dichotomy that is forced on this issue. Either you are a cultural warrior, or you are a cultural wimp.

Rather, lets let the gospel saturate our entire lives, from family decisions, to church decisions, to work decisions, to political decisions, to every decision we make. That is about $.03 worth.

Emma Catherine

For anyone that did not know, my wife gave birth on Feb 15, 2006 @ 12:20 PM to a beautiful baby girl, Emma Catherine, weighing in at 7 lbs 5 oz and 19 inches long. And when I say beautiful, I mean beautiful. I think The Lord is revealing much to my wife and I about unconditional love. Stay tuned for possible further updates on the life of a new father.

12 May our sons in their youth
be like plants full grown,
our daughters like corner pillars
cut for the structure of a palace;
13 may our granaries be full,
providing all kinds of produce;
may our sheep bring forth thousands
and ten thousands in our fields;
14 may our cattle be heavy with young,
suffering no mishap or failure in bearing; [2]
may there be no cry of distress in our streets!
15 Blessed are the people to whom such blessings fall!
Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord! - David, King of Israel

Beth Moore discusses the 5 points?

Update/Disclaimer: My intent with this post is to discuss and gather opinions, not condemn, Beth Moore's teaching material and whether Ms. Moore's material are consistent with a reformed/conservative understanding of scripture. I do not deny at all that The Lord has used Ms. Moore's materials to bless many people, or that her heart is to sincerely serve the Lord. If you read this and have an opinion, please let me know. Thanks!



Ha...got ya didn't I. No, Ms. Moore is not discussing Calvinism, but instead in the latest edition of Modern Reformation Magazine, Susan Disston from the PCA reviews Moore's book Believing God and also her teaching system. About Moore's 5 points, Ms. Disston writes,

"Moore offers her readers the ticket to the Promised Land that will turn passive faith into “action verb” faith. It is five-point pledge of faith that is memorized and spoken out loud daily: God is who he says he is; God can do what he says he can do; I am who God says I am; I can do all things through Christ; God’s Word is alive and active in me. The pledge is designed to overcome doubts about God’s power and goodness, to bolster faith in miracles, to claim one’s adoption into God’s family through Christ, and to open the Christian to receiving personalized messages from God both through the Bible and through daily interventions."

Ms. Disston also makes these observations about Beth Moore's teaching characteristics,

"Moore is a pragmatist. When she reads the Bible she expects it to speak to her about her life in practical ways. She uses the people and stories in the Bible as allegories of the Christian life to explain how Christians can be defeated or victorious. Their destiny depends on how they respond to God. The equation is simple, according to Moore; the more faith they exercise, the better their reward in this life. Her books, Bible studies, videos, and speaking ministry follow a similar pattern of self-disclosure, plucky faith that is determined to overcome, and confirmation from the Bible that Christians can and do experience victory over sin, deliverance from bondage, and successful Christianity."

Is anyone else somewhat uneasy about this description. On first read it doesn't sound so bad, but then I became more uncomfortable with the phrase "the more faith they exercise".

More from the article,

Although she wants to be theological and Christ-centered, too much of Moore’s material is about her take on her experience with God. Her writing tends to be undisciplined and shallow. She is far too willing to gloss over uncomfortable theological implications in favor of feel-good stories and quick explanations. Knowing God comes through experience; most sin is the result of failing to believe and be delivered; repentance is rarely mentioned. Her bent toward mysticism permits her to circumvent traditional theological interpretations and indulge in explanations of her own design that are more reasonable and satisfying to her sensibilities... Basically she says, don’t let theology and doctrine confuse you when you can figure it out with God for yourself in a way that works for you. Unfortunately, people who use her materials can’t help but absorb some of that reasoning. Even more troubling is that they think they’re doing Bible study when they are really getting a heavy dose of mysticism, storytelling, psychology, and prosperity gospel. In the introduction to Believing God, Moore shows her true, but mistaken, agenda when she says, “I know I’m going to make it to heaven because I’ve trusted Christ as my Savior, but I want to make it to my Canaan on the way. I want to finish my race in the Promised Land, not in the wilderness. You too? Then we have to cash in our fear and complacency and spend all we have on the only ticket out: BELIEF.”

In conclusion Ms. Disston comes to the following opinion,

There are many worthy goals of Bible study, but securing heaven on earth is not one of them, at least for Reformed Christians. And the surest way to get off track is to add human effort to what God has already done in the cross of Christ, even when it’s called believing God or faith. Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace, whereby we receive and rest upon him alone for salvation. Everything else is of grace in the Christian experience, too, thanks be to God.

Well, I can unreservedly give that a hearty AMEN. My question is, what do you think of this review? Should Beth Moore be avoided by Reformed Christians, or can we pick and choose with a discerning eye from her studies? Enquiring minds want to know.

Russ

Why the ESV?

Why Tenth Presbyterian Church uses the ESV by Philip Ryken.

The God of "my" Understanding

I wanted to talk about last Tuesday's Larry King Live with Dr. Albert Mohler, Janet Parshal, Chad Allen, and Guy Padgett, but I just did not have the time. Thankfully, I just read Denny Burke's post and it is a great short summary. Check out his post and read the transcript.

General Thomas Johnathan "Stonewall" Jackson

I would be most bereft of my duties as a grateful son of a Confederate Veteran and a son of the South if I did not at least mention that today is the birthday of General Thomas J. Jackson, forever remembered as Stonewall Jackson.

I have come to consider General Jackson as a personal hero, a man who exibited a most zealous Christian faith, who trusted completely the God who he knew governed all of existence, who loved his wife and family dearly, who modeled Christian piety and manhood, a man who loved to pray, and a man who took his duties seriously and left the consequences to God. This is the man for whom I celebrate this day, his birthday, and honor all that which he stood for.

Quotes from Gen Jackson

Once you get them running, you stay right on top of them, and that way a small force can defeat a large one every time... Only thus can a weaker country cope with a stronger; it must make up in activity what it lacks in strength.

Who could not conquer with such troops as these?

My troops may fail to take a position, but are never driven from one!

Stonewall Jackson as a Young Man (from VMI Military Institute)

Then, Sir, we will give them the bayonet! (Stonewall Jackson's reply to Colonel B.E. Bee when he reported that the enemy were beating them back. At the first battle of Bull Run, July 1861)

"Captain, my religious belief teaches me to feel as safe in battle as in bed. God has fixed the time for my death. I do not concern myself about that, but to be always ready, no matter when it may overtake me." He added, after a pause, looking me full in the face: "That is the way all men should live, and then all would be equally brave"

You may be whatever you resolve to be (From Jackson's Personal Journal)

In my tent last night, after a fatiguing day's service, I remembered that I failed to send a contribution for our colored Sunday school. Enclosed you will find a check for that object, which please acknowledge at your earliest convenience and oblige yours faithfully. (Lt. General Thomas Jackson, in a letter to his Pastor)

Our God was my shield. His protecting care is an additional cause for gratitude

I see from the number of physicians that you think my condition dangerous, but I thank God, if it is His will, that I am ready to go. (General Jackson on his Death Bed)

Let us cross over the river, and rest under the shade of the trees . . .
(The General's Last Words)

New Website

I wanted to alert everyone to a new website that I am excited about. The new site is www.samwaldron.us. It looks like this site will be distilling the output of Pastor/Teacher/Author Sam Waldron. I have benefitted from Dr. Waldron's work and recommend highly The End Times Made Simple and A Modern Exposition of the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith.

This site is brand new so keep checking back as new information will probably be added.

Who answers to whom?

I love this article. Profound. Short. To the point.

The faulty levee of human virtue vs. the high ground of Calvary | by John Piper

By the way, please pray for Dr. Piper as he has been diagnosed with cancer. Here is his letter about his cancer. You can read a good post by Dr. Mohler about what Dr. Piper himself has said about cancer and prayer here.

What, in hell, has God done for you?

A belated Happy New Year for those of you keeping count of the days on the calendar. And for those who want to know, my Christmas and New Year was rich with fellowship, with both my family, and my Christological family, the church. Let me take this opportunity to again thank the elders of my church, Ephesus Baptist Church, for being Gospel focused and allowing our church family to worship Christ on the holiday that bears his name. What a joy it was!

This brings to mind some things I would like to do on this blog in the upcoming year. First of all, things will probably be quiet around here soon. I begin working my seasonal second job soon and my wife and I are expecting our first child next month. So through April things may be slow. Here are some things I am interested in talking about right now, but this may definitely change by April. My family geneology (I found out some cool facts over the holdiday, cool especially for you civil war buffs), the emergent church, worship, and cultural engagment, among others.

What has God done for you? Do you really know and comprehend the richness and depth of his love? Do you know those who are grieving or who have no hope. The recent tragedy in West Virginia provides a context for this question. Phillip Ryken recently blogged on this question briefly here. I think it is a good one for us to ponder.

QOD

The Federalist Patriot
Founders' Quote Daily

"[T]he States can best govern our home concerns and the general
government our foreign ones. I wish, therefore...never to see
all offices transferred to Washington, where, further withdrawn
from the eyes of the people, they may more secretly be bought
and sold at market."

-- Thomas Jefferson (letter to Judge William Johnson, 12 June 1823)

Reference: Original Intent, Barton (261); original Memoir,
Correspondence, and Miscellanies, From the Papers of Thomas
Jefferson, Thomas Je

Colossians 2:8-9

See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits [1] of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily

I have been wanting to point out these two blog posts, here and here, by Dr. White for several days now. Dr. White is urging his readers to commit scripture to memory, starting with the verses quoted above. But, not only is he encouraging memorization and meditation, but giving us some great exegesis so we can understand fully what exactly we are memorizing.

These two verses are great because they warn against being fooled and letting yourself be taken captive by philosophy and deceitful ideas that are contrary to Christ and his wisdom. Secondly, verse 9 is a powerful declaration of Jesus' deity and humanity. You can find MUCH more on these verses at the links I provided above. So, let me invite you to commit these verses to memory along with me.

Memorizingly,
Russ

Interesting info on the origins of Christmas

For the last couple of years Christmas has brought about many mixed feelings for me. On the one hand I have many fond memories of Christmas, not just getting presents, but of spending time with family and celebrating Christ's birth through the typical Christmas activities. But then I heard that some Christians think celebrating Christmas is wrong, even sinful, because it was originally a pagan religious festival and therefore should be avoided and basically ignored. Now, this was troubling information for me, rightly so, but I have learned, thankfully, to take my time with information such as this and try to find a biblically balanced view of things.

So, I have now been reading that Christmas was in fact not a response to a pagan ritual but the other way around. Justin Taylor has put together the post I wanted to here. Please review the articles he has posted and there are some informative links in the comment section also.

I am still trying to understand how the argument against Christmas does not commit the genetic fallacy, a logical fallacy. This probably needs more study and thought, but you've got to start somewhere right? I am more concerned with the commercialism and superficiality of the holiday than any pagan rituals or Roman Catholic Masses that occured over a century ago. In the meantime, I'll continue to celebrate Christmas, somewhat reservedly, but encouraged that I get to celebrate Christ birth, death, and resurrection every single Sunday.

Obsessing over Calvinism?

This post over at Purgatorio was just too good not to link to. Enjoy!