Readings, again

The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the blogs linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the posts linked.

3 Reasons I’m Not a Fan of the “I Went to Heaven” Books
5 Reasons “I Declare” @JoelOsteen Deadly
Divorce Rate Among Christians
Most popular baby names, 2011 vs. 1911
Practical Holiness
The Church Historian as Spiritual Mentor
The Intolerance of Those Who Preach Tolerance

The Neighbourly Way

I usually think of the rural South as a place of genuine friendliness and neighborliness. I'm not so sure that is still true in a widespread way. Old neighbors die or move. New ones who move in that we hardly know. We often think of a neighbor as a person who lives nearby or next to another. Jesus taught us to think another way -- be a neighbor by showing sympathy, mercy and kindness (especially to those in distress). Even the world and the wicked love those that love them.

Luke 10:30-37 tells the story we usually call "The Good Samaritan". In it Jesus tells us of one who was robbed, beaten and left for dead. After the thieves left him, he was encountered by a priest, a Levite and a Samaritan. In the encounter with the thieves and these three others, we learn 3 philosophies of dealing with our "neighbors".

1. What is yours is mine and I can have it. "A certain man...fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead." The philosophy of thieves is that anything that belongs to another is rightfully theirs (the thief's). They will take whatever they can, regardless of consequences, and not worry their conscience about it.

2. What is mine is mine and you can't have it. "[A] certain priest...when he saw him, he passed by on the other side" and "a Levite...came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side." The philosophy of the cheapskate and the tightwad, like the priest and Levite, is not one that necessarily takes from others. It is possessive of its own; it will not share. Maybe you don't have to worry about them stealing from you and leaving you with the consequences -- but they will not help. Will not give. Will not share.

3. What is mine is yours and you can have it. "[A] certain Samaritan...saw him...had compassion on him...and took care of him." The "Good Samaritan" was larger than life, with a heart as open as his pocketbook. He looked not to what he had and how he could it keep for himself, but looked for what must be done. He alone was neighbor to the man who fell among thieves.

"Go, and do thou likewise."

[Note: The "3 Philosophies" is not original to me. I heard and learned this from some unremembered soul years ago.]

More miscellaneous readings

The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the blogs linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the posts linked.

First Look at Spielberg’s “Lincoln” Movie
Is Catholicism a Monotheistic Religion?
Should We Fear That We Are Deluded? Comments on Dawkins’ The God Delusion
Theology can be overrated
80% of Churchgoers Don't Read Bible Daily

Same-Sex Marriage Poised To Win Popular Vote

According to Denny Burk, same-sex marriage is poised to win the popular vote in several places. I think he is correct. We are losing the battle for "traditional marriage," culturally speaking. The proponents of traditional heterosexual marriage are much to blame. While defending the sanctity of marriage between one man and one woman, we divorce, cheat, fornicate, adulterate, "pornographize" and so on. How is that defending the sanctity of marriage? These things ought not to be. In the past "American Christian Conservatives" have really bragged on how homosexual marriage only wins by legislatures and judges exerting their will on the people -- and can't win the popular vote. That is true. But it is coming. Some day it will win by popular vote -- and then again and again, over and over. Then what will we brag about? American Christians have bought too much stock in this culture, and the stock is going to crash. We have spent too much time worrying about whether the United States is a "Christian nation" than on whether we are biblical Christians. We'd better make sure we are on the Lord's side and not culture.

Top 200 Church Blogs

For you interest and enjoyment:
Top 200 Church Blogs 

[I was shocked and amazed that "Ministry and Music" didn't make the list! ;-) ]

Jesus' wife?

At the top of today's religious and irreligious news is revelation of a papyrus fragment referring to Jesus' wife.

One interesting part of the dialogue is that the researchers claim it is not a forgery. I'd be interested in a clearer explanation of what they mean when they say that. Do they just mean this is really from the fourth-century and not something someone has tried to make look like that? Or something else? Some people will have their "faith" shaken because they will now think Jesus must have had a wife. But all this amounts to is someone writing in the fourth century after Christ who thinks He had a wife. No more and no less.

Resources for church history

Much of what I post related to history is about Baptists. But here are some links to non-Baptist related church history. These links are not endorsements of the men under consideration, neither do they imply agreement with the sources linked. But they can provide some interesting areas for reading, study and research.

Alexander Campbell/Restoration Movement Resources
Arminius/Arminian Resources
George Whitefield Resources
John Calvin Resources
John Knox (scroll to bottom for more reading links)
Martin Luther Resources
Saint Augustine's Library
Wesley Studies Resources

Nye, Ham, Science, Creation, Philosophy

I recently posted on Bill Nye, the Science Guy. Thought this might be an interesting follow-up:
Bill Nye the Humanist Guy vs. Ken Ham the Creationist Man

You might also find this interesting:
Philosophy v science: which can answer the big questions of life?

Or perhaps:
Creationism Is Evolving

A Present Help in Time of Trouble

1 Why sinks my weak desponding mind?
Why heaves my heart the anxious sigh?
Can sovereign goodness be unkind?
Am I not safe when God is nigh?
 
2 He holds all nature in his hand:
That gracious hand on which I live,
Does life, and time, and death command,
And has immortal joys to give.
 
3 'Tis he supports this fainting frame,
On him alone my hopes recline;
the wondrous glories of his name,
How side they spread, how bright they shine!
 
4 Infinite wisdom! boundless power!
Unchanging faithfulness and love!
Here let me trust, while I adore,
And from my refuge ne'er remove.
 
5 My God, if thou art mine indeed,
Then I have all my heart can crave;
A present help in times of need,
Still kind to hear and strong to save.
 
6 Forgive my doubts, o gracious Lord,
And ease the sorrows of my breast;
Speak to my heart the healing word,
That thou art mine--and I am blest.

By Anne Steele

Quotable quotes

(as they say in Reader's Digest)

“The Beatitudes of our Lord do not say, 'Blessed are the orthodox'.” -- Ray Ortlund

"There was nothing my father mistrusted more than 'childhood piety.' He insisted that children should never be taught or allowed to use the language of personal possession' in reference to God. To sing, for instance, "Rock of Ages, cleft for ME" or, "MY Jesus". Herein he was most logical. For by early influence and example you can train up a child to be . . .
a little patriot,
a little Catholic,
a little Calvinist, or
a little Bolshevist.
He took great care that we, his children, attended the means of grace, and never missed chapel or family prayers. But he never expected us to be anything but little heathen. We had, it is true, to be well behaved little heathen. If not, we got "the stick", or its equivalent. But no power on earth can make him a child of God. "Who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man—but of God." John 1:13" -- J.C. Philpot

"It was not so long ago, even in secular Western societies, that a man’s manhood was judged according to the way in which he protected and provided for the women in his life. Only a feminist ideologue surveying the wreckage of American society can really believe that the abandonment of this viewpoint has improved the lot of women and children." -- Robert Rayburn

"How often we have seen young members put off the important things “until I retire;” and when retired, too tired now to do anything but complain about the things they once should have put first while it “was day, for in the night, no man worketh.” I have observed this pattern now for over fifty years of my ministry." -- Stanley Phillips

Online readings

The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the blogs linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the posts linked.


A Case for Cessationism: a Response to Dave Miller
Clement’s Prayer for Rulers
God Told Me that the Bible Does NOT Teach Cessationism
The 2nd Annual Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies Conference
The God Who Acts

“Most unfortunate” town name

Toad Suck, Arkansas, was voted “most unfortunate” town name.

A list of the top ten "most unfortunate" names is below. I find it interesting that even though the polled respondents lived in the U.S., U.K., Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, that all the "most unfortunate" names were in the United States. Maybe these other folks just don't know how to get creative when it comes to town names.

Toad Suck, Ark.
Climax, Ga.
Boring, Ore.
Hooker, Okla.
Assawoman, Md.
Belchertown, Mass.
Roachtown, Ill.
Loveladies, N.J.
Squabbletown, Calif.
Monkey's Eyebrow, Ky.

Get over it

According to Yahoo News, former Arkansas Governor and former Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee "has called Paul supporters 'fanatical believers' who 'don't represent mainstream Americans'." He also says, "You lost, move on."


Well, Mike, I have a couple of things I'd like to you. I voted for Ron Paul in the primary. I lost. I have moved on. But moving on doesn't mean quietly acqueising to and voting for the Rino candidate that the majority seems to want. All dissent should not be shut out of the Republican National Committee with an "anybody but Obama" mentality.

I've been a Republican for almost my entire adult life and have never voted for a Democrat for president. Like you, I am a "fanatical believer" in Jesus Christ, and a Baptist preacher.. Unlike you, evidently, I don't have to have a candidate who pretends to toe the party line. Get over it, Mike; move on.

Bill Nye the Science Guy

...gets it wrong.

Bill Nye's Creationism Is Not Appropriate For Children has become a "hit" on the internet, for better or worse. You can view it at the link above, as well as read the transcript. For that reason, I won't post the entire transcript here, but comment on excerpts from it.

1. "Denial of evolution is unique to the United States." False. Belief in creation may find great strength in the United States, but denial of evolution can be found throughout the world.

2. "When you have a portion of the population that doesn't believe in that [the "science" of evolution], it holds everybody back." False. The history of our nation filled with Bible-believing Christians--which has grown into "the world's most advanced technological [nation]"--stands as a clever denial of Nye's assertion.

3. "Evolution is the fundamental idea in all of life science." False. Though some would so claim, it remains scientifically a theory unable to explain the origins of the universe.

4. "Your whole world is just going to be a mystery instead of an exciting place." False. Amazingly, Nye thinks all Christians live in an unexciting, crazy, untenable, inconsistent world. I think he needs to get out more; maybe meet some different kinds of folks than he is used to hanging around with.

5. "The idea of deep time, of this billions of years, explains so much of the world around us." False. But I mainly want to notice here that he finds a view that "explains so much of the world around us." Thankfully, the view of God and creation explains all of the world around us.

6. "...grownups, if you want to deny evolution and live in your world, in your world that's completely inconsistent with everything we observe in the universe, that's fine, but don't make your kids do it because we need them." False. Here Nye encourages schizophrenic parents who believe one thing and teach their kids another! No, if it is wrong, grownups ought not believe it either! We do need our kids, and God & creation is a worldview both worthy and safe to be held by grownups and children.

7. "We need scientifically literate voters and taxpayers for the future. We need people that can—we need engineers that can build stuff, solve problems." True. Yes, true for once. We do need scientifically literate voters and taxpayers, and people that can build stuff and solve problems. (I wonder if mentioning the desire for "scientifically literate voters" doesn't reveal a lot more about this whole thing than what he actually says.) Apparently Nye has not noticed that for two hundred years and more we have been developing literate voters, good citizens, folks who can build stuff, and folks who can solve problems--all the while with many of them 'weighed down' with a worldview filled with God, creation and religion!

8. "...in another couple of centuries that world view...just won't exist." False. Remember Voltaire? In another couple of centuries Christianity and other beliefs of God & creation will remain vital worldviews, while Bill Nye will be mostly forgotten.

Let God be true, but every man a liar.

What Bill Nye should have said

A transcript of Bill Nye's Creationism Is Not Appropriate For Children can be found below the video. In contrast to what he said, here is something more like what should be said.

Denial of evolution isn't unique to the United States. We're the world's most advanced technological nation—generally, the United States is where most of the innovations still happen. People still move to the United States. And that's largely because of the liberty, freedom and prosperity we have, and the general understanding that faith and religion preserves those liberties. When you have a portion of the population that doesn't believe in that, it holds everybody back.

Creation is the fundamental idea in all of life. Trying to live without God is very much like trying to do geology without believing in tectonic plates. You're just not going to get the right answer. Your whole world is just going to be a mystery instead of an exciting place.

Carl Sagan said, "When you're in love you want to tell the world." Once in a while I hear people that claim they don't believe in God. And my response generally is "Well, why not? Really, why not?" Your world just becomes fantastically complicated when you don't believe in God. Here are these ancient dinosaur bones or fossils, here is radioactivity, here are distant stars that are just like our star but they're at a different point in their lifecycle. Here is love and faith and morality. The idea of God and creation explains all of the world around us. If you try to ignore that, your world view just becomes crazy--untenable, itself inconsistent.

And I say to the grownups, you are free to deny creation and live in your world, in your world that's completely inconsistent with everything we know--but don't make your kids do it, because we need them. We need morally literate voters, citizens and taxpayers for the future. We need engineers that can build stuff and solve problems; we need teachers who can pass on to the next generation; we need preachers who can define morality.

You know, in another couple of centuries the belief in God and creation will remain a vibrant viable world view. Bill Nye will be mostly forgotten.

In memory, Archie McDonald

Yesterday morning a memorial service was held for Archie P. McDonald of Nacogdoches, Texas. Anyone who was interested in history, especially East Texas history, knew him or knew of him, his books and his work. He was long-time Executive Director of the East Texas Historical Association and editor of the East Texas Historical Journal. Mr. McDonald was born November 29, 1935 and died August 16, 2012.

The Contemplation of God

“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God” (1 John 3:1)

Consider four truths: God’s love is –

Eternal – it is without beginning and end. ‘In love, having predestined us’ (Eph 1:4-5). ‘Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee’ (Jer 31:3).

Sovereign – it is without external influence. ‘Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated’ (Rom 9:13). ‘According to the good pleasure of his will’ (Eph 1:4)

Immutable –it is without change. ‘strong as death...many waters cannot quench it’ (Song of Solomon 8:6-7). ‘having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end’ (John 13:1). ‘Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?’(Rom 8:35)

Gracious – it is without condition. ‘God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son’ (Jn 3:16). God’s definite love rested on the fulfillment of one condition: the obedience of Christ unto death. The Father was satisfied with everything concerning His Son.
 -- excerpt from The Contemplation of God by T. David Simpson

What we have through faith

What do those who champion baptism for the literal remission of sins have in baptism that we don't already have by faith? According to the Bible "them that believe":


1. Are given power to become the sons of God, John 1:12.

2. Have the righteousness of God, Romans 3:22. Cf. Romans 5:1.

3. Are the seed of Abraham, Romans 4:11.

4. Are saved, I Corinthians 1:21. Cf. Hebrews 10:39.

5. Are given the promise, Galatians 3:22.

More readings on history and other stuff

The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the blogs linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the posts linked.

A Kentucky Baptist in the War of 1812
Baptist Ecumenism...some initial observations
Five Great Mysteries of the Christian Faith
Preacher in the hands of an angry church: the fall of Jonathan Edwards
The True-Gospel Faith Declared According to the Scriptures
William Kiffin

Democrats withdraw support

Mark Clayton won the Tennessee Democratic U.S. Senate primary last Thursday. Now the Democratic party rejects Senate nominee Mark Clayton. According to the state party, "Mark Clayton is associated with a known hate group..." and the State Party will not promote him or support him. They are also encouraging Democratic voters to write-in a candidate in the November general election.

I thought maybe Clayton was in the Ku Klux Klan, but apparently the statement was made because he is vice-president of Public Advocate of the United States. I'm not familiar with them, but this conservative group describes itself as a "conservative, pro-family advocacy group" and opposes same-sex marriage and abortion.