Wow, been awhile since I posted, but that’s the way it goes sometimes :)  I found a really interested blog post containing a video from Penn, of Penn and Teller, about how he met a guy who gave him a Bible.  The video will surprise and hopefully challenge you like it did the author and myself.  Enjoy

http://theprodigaljon.blogspot.com/2008/12/how-much.html

My church, Bethel Church & Ministries, just put out this video as a introduction to new people so that they can see what goes on during a normal day.  Enjoy

Those who know me have probably asked me at one time or another why I am part of the Southern Baptist Convention. To tell you the truth, I’ve been thinking that a lot myself lately. I am especially disturbed by events at the recent John 3:16 conference sponsored by Jerry Vines Ministries, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, Luther Rice Seminary and Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. The conference represents a growing antagonism in Southern Baptist life toward those who embrace the Doctrines of Grace. Unfortunately, this conference lacked some of the the balance and tact of the Building Bridges Conference. See critiques here, here, and here. The last link is especially revealing since James White was labeled a hyper-Calvinist while he was in London pressing the claims of Christ among Muslims! Hyper-Calvinist? “You keep using that word… I do not think it means what you think it means.” (Inigo Montoya, The Princess Bride)

For a ‘lighter’ take on things look here. I only post this because I have been bombarded with questions as to where I am in this ‘fight’. Of course, it is not much of a fight. The SBC establishment is firmly and openly anti-Calvinist. There is no question about that. There is but one question. How long before the SBC realizes that defeating Calvinism would represent a Phyrric victory at best. Anyone paying attention sees the stark contrast between ministries like T4G, 9Marks, Desiring God, and the SBC Annual meeting. One of these groups is known for being 1) anti-Calvinistic, 2) highly politicized, and 3) void of the youth and vitality needed to sustain it in the future (hence, that ubiquitous question, “Exactly why are you in the SBC?”).

As for me, the SBC is still home. I am still a Baptist by confession and conviction. However, the is not the welcoming place it was for me earlier in this decade. In 2001 I had the privilege of being appointed Chair of the ‘Teller’s Committee’ at the Annual Convention in New Orleans (unfortunately, flooding in Houston prevented me from attending what would have been my first Convention). In late 2002 I got a call out of the blue from LifeWay/Broadman & Holman (the Southern Baptist publishing arm) offering me –an unpublished, unproven author– a three-book publishing deal, which I accepted. I wrote The Ever Loving Truth (B&H, 2004), and The Ever Loving Truth Bible Study (LifeWay, 2004), before parting ways. During the same period, I received three invitations to preach at the SBC Pastor’s Conference (the event that kicks off the Southern Baptist Convention) in 2002, 2004 and 2005 (a family commitment prevented my participation the first year). This was, as we say here in the South, high cotton! Not many guys in their early thirties who have never pastored a church get a shot at preaching in the Pastor’s Conference. As my dear friend and brother, Derry Hodge said at the time, my “star was on the rise.”

However, things have changed drastically since then. That change is due in large part to three main issues that left me on the outside looking in. First, many of my brethren and I do not agree on the urgency of Christian parents giving their children a Christian Education. Though the Baptist Faith and Message seems to state the matter plainly (See Baptist Faith & Message, 2000, section XII: Education), my view is deemed extremist, un-evangelistic, and unwarranted. My partner in crime Bruce Shortt and I discovered that government education was a sacred cow not to be messed with in the SBC. In 2004, our education resolution created a firestorm, but fell to defeat. In 2005, we rang the bell again and gained a victory. However, while the Associated Press, and thousands of other publications (including Ethics Daily) covered the 2005 story incessantly, there was a virtual blackout over at Baptist Press. A look at the stories they wrote about ‘yours truly’ before vs. after 2005 makes for an interesting search to say the least. Not to mention the fact that we were taking on the homosexual agenda and received international coverage, but the BP blackout concerning my part in the resolution persisted.

My second SBC faux pas was going public with my position on Youth Ministry/Family Discipleship. While I voiced concerns for years, these were not “public” until I began to blog about them, then preach about them on the SBC stage. In February of 2006, I preached the message, The Centrality of the Home in the Evangelism and Discipleship of the Next Generation at the SBTC Evangelism Conference. I began to call Youth Ministry into question, not just for its shallowness, or ineffective track record (as did Christian Smith, George Barna, Mike Yakonelli, Alvin Reid, Allen Jackson, Richard Rossand scores of others); I had the audacity to point out the fact that it wasn’t even biblical in the first place. This, coupled with the release of Family Driven Faith, and planting Grace Family Baptist Church, set off a chain of SBC events that would culminate in the SBTC Youth Ministry Forum, and (some would argue) the recent “Patriarchy” rant at Midwestern Seminary by Cynthia Kunsman.

However, neither of these constituted fatal infractions. I co-sponsored an education in 2004, but preached at the SBC in 2005. I stood against YM for years and while many were uncomfortable, I was still part of the gang. That is, until I came out of the closet. No… I’m not gay. It’s far worse than that. I’m a Calvinist! That’s right, I’m a fire-breathing, TULIP believing, five-point Calvinist. That, my friends, is the unpardonable sin in contemporary Southern Baptist life (unless your name is Al Mohler and you’ve been President of the flagship Southern Baptist Theological Seminary since you were in your early thirties and happen to be the most intelligent, articulate, winsome public face the Convention has).

I was ‘outed’ in 2006 when I preached at the Desiring God National Conference. Prior to that I had preached at Alistair Begg’s conferences, but Desiring God was the fatal blow. After that the questions began to swirl. After preaching a message in a Pastor’s conference in 2006 a dear friend approached me (he is a well-known Calvinist whose name I won’t mention… TOM ASCOL …and I was going to be preaching in his church the next day). He was laughing about a debate he overheard between two pastors. The issue? Whether or not I believed regeneration precedes faith! These brothers had begun to put two and two together but they just knew it couldn’t be four. It was as though I had contracted AIDS. These guys were actually mourning! “I had him in my church!” one of them lamented. I could have done a lot of things and been just fine. However, the dreaded “C” word has become a death sentence in “mainstream”

Southern Baptist life. Some may say that’s not it at all. Perhaps I’m simply too controversial, or vitriolic. Really? Then explain Ergun Caner (whom, by the way, I consider a friend even though we differ on this issue). Caner has been on of the most vitriolic voices in recent SBC history. However, his vitriol has been pointed at the enemy, Calvinism. Jerry Vines called the Prophet Mohammad a “Demon-possessed pedophile” and brought scorn on the entire Convention, but he hosts conferences with some of the top names and institutions in the SBC. Jerry Fallwell made a career out of vitriol and controversy and the SBC gave him the Keys to the Kingdom when he joined. No, I don’t think vitriol is my crime. My crime is being a part of a movement the SBC sees as a threat to evangelism, and our already declining baptismal numbers.

Calvinists can be an easy target when it comes to evangelism and baptism. Never mind names like Augustine of Hippo, Martin Luther, John Calvin, Adonirum Judson, William Carey, Charles Spurgeon, Richard Baxter, Matthew Henry, John Bunyan, George Whitefield, Jonathan Edwards, Arthur Pink, Boyce, Andrew Fuller, Luther Rice, J.L. Dagg, Daniel & Abraham Marshall, D. Martin Lloyd-Jones, J.I. Packer, Ian Murray, D.A. Carson, John Piper, James White, Tom Nettles, Tom Schriner, Tom Ascol, Timothy George, Mark Dever, and Al Mohler. The strawman (who doesn’t believe in evangelism because he believes in election) that was beaten about the head and shoulders at the John 3:16 Conference is a much easier target. Can you imagine that conference with the living members of the aforementioned list sitting there defending themselves? I’d pay a pretty penny to see that!

Instead, guys like White get hammered for not believing in evangelism while out doing evangelism! Good thing we’re protecting the Convention from the likes of him. If not we might start having bus tours with slogans like “Everyone Can”. Convention leaders with churches that boast memberships of 10,000 when their actual attendance (resident, participating, regenerate, ‘real’ members) is well under 2,000. Or fire engine baptistries to coax children into the sacred waters (Paige Patterson called this “blasphemy” right before calling Southern Baptists “some of the worst paedo-baptizers there are”). If we don’t rid ourselves of guys like White, we may end up adding a category in our baptismal reports for “Under Age 6,” or have a pastor join the Youth Ministry at the beach and have himself and staff ‘re-baptized’ in an effort to ‘prime-the-pump’ and get the baptismal numbers up for the annual beach retreat (true story!). Or who knows, if the likes of James White are not stopped, we may have non-Trinitarians like T.D. Jakes come and teach at our conferences.

Of course anyone paying attention knows these atrocities are actual occurrences in our beloved Convention and they are the types of things Calvinists (like White) bemoan. Moreover, our Arminian and Amyraldian brethren also despise these things (funny how people berate Calvinists for “following doctrine named for a man” when the various other positions are named for men as well). Unfortunately, they don’t despise these atrocities quite as much as they despise Calvinism. So where does that leave me? Still here. Sill lovin’ the brethren. Still holding to the Doctrines of Grace. Still in the SBC. No longer considering a future of any significance in the Convention. Praying for reconciliation, revival and reformation. Grieving over the status quo. Still holding to the Fives!

The Five Solas
Sola Scriptura
Sola Fide
Sola Gratia
Solus Christus
Soli Deo Gloria!
The Five Points
Total or Radical Depravity
Unconditional or Sovereign Election
Limited Atonement/Particular Redemption
Irresistible or Effectual Grace
Perseverance of the Saints

VB

Obviously, I, like many of my readers, have been a bit discouraged in light of the recent election. And I don’t mean the outcome. Those of you how know me, or follow my blog know that I was disappointed long before the primaries ended, and have been a “third party” guy since long before this election (ironically, some accuse me of jumping on the third party bandwagon because the Republicans added a woman to the ticket). At any rate, Jesus is still on the throne. So don’t be discouraged. Here are ten things about which I am encouraged in light of the recent election:

1. Evangelicals will be forced to rely on the gospel instead of the government as the means of cultural transformation.

2. The reality of Gramscian Marxist cultural hegemony can no longer be denied (even McCain was at times running on a socialist agenda, i.e., the “bailout” of home owners). Perhaps Christians can have an honest discussion about the role of education and media in worldview formation, and the failure of both the church, and the family to assume a proper role in the matter.

3. Perhaps this judgment on our Republic (which I believe either ticket would have represented to some degree) will bring about sober repentance, reformation and revival in the church.

4. The pro-life movement has been re-energized. It seems those who love and believe in the sanctity of life, and desire to protect the unborn relied on Mr. Bush to “fix things” during his presidency. Now we know that was not the case. Though abortions have decreased slightly, the genocide continues. It never stopped. The government is not the answer! God alone will give us victory in this arena, and he will not share his glory with another.

5. Perhaps “conservatives” will dust off the Constitution and start holding our leaders accountable to it again. In the past eight years George W. Bush has in many ways made a mockery of the Constitution (the Patriot Act, “No Child Left Behind,” an undeclared, unconstitutional war, proposing the $700 Billion bailout, etc.). Unfortunately, many conservatives gave him a pass. I have a feeling Mr. Obama will be called to task for doing things Mr. Bush did in spades (i.e., the largest expansion of government in American history).

6. Mr. Obama is now ‘off script’ (as evidenced by his Nancy Reagan comment and subsequent apology), and will no longer be able to get by with vague rhetoric (Hope and Change will now have to be defined). His ‘smooth’ factor will be reduced by a factor of ten if his first press conference is any indication. Look for more “Joe the Plumber” type moments of honesty in the future. Perhaps he will soon be seen as a President worthy of the respect the office carries rather than a Messiah to be worshipped.

7. Mr. Obama garnered 52% of the popular vote (the first Democrat to get a majority of the popular vote since Jimmy Carter), and won the Electoral College by a two-to-one margin, thus completely negating the “wasted vote” argument used by many conservatives to chasten third party voters.

8. America circumvented the Jesse Jackson/Al Sharpton crowd and still got a black president. In fact, Jackson has been openly critical of Obama. Now the typical Jackson/Sharpton/NAACP crowd will have to find a new argument since a black man now holds the highest office in the land. No more, “The Man is keeping us down” since you don’t get higher than the White House. This was an American accomplishment whether you like the guy or not. Interestingly, our “secular government” was able to find a black president before many Christian organizations (i.e., the Southern Baptist Convention… I only mention them because I’m a Southern Baptist, and I know the powers-that-be would love to have crossed that bridge long ago).

9. The “discussion” about race/racism in this country now includes the racist comments and attitudes of the Jeremiah Wrights and Louis Farrakhans of the world. Before, black racism got a pass (i.e., the argument that blacks can’t be racist because they “have no power”). Now the Wright issue has forced Mr. Obama do distance himself from black liberation theology, and we may have a window of opportunity (in the church) to have a real “come to Jesus meeting” about the sin of racism on both sides

10. Bristol Palin can have her baby and get married away from the national public eye, and without the public scorn and ridicule that would undoubtedly have hounded her the way it is currently hounding her mother. In other words, this young woman can now be protected in ways that would have been impossible had her family been headed for the White House.

The people have spoken. Barack Hussein Obama has been elected the 44th President of the United States of America. The Left Wing press is ecstatic, white guilt has been assuaged, Affirmative Action has been vindicated, and socialist Europe loves us again. Now comes the rub… It ain’t over! If you think this means that the “America is a racist society” crowd will have to shut up, you’ve got another thing coming. In fact, watch the press closely in the coming days. There will be a concerted effort to press the opposite point. Jesse Jackson (who said he wanted to castrate Obama a couple of months ago because he had the audacity to call black fathers to account), Al Sharpton, and their ilk will argue that this is merely proof that policies like Affirmative Action work, and that such efforts need to be redoubled; not abandoned. They believe we need to continue telling young black boys and girls that they are not smart enough, good enough, industrious enough, capable enough, and America is not ‘fair’ enough for them to succeed without special help that their white (or Asian) counterparts don’t need.

We must also be ready for the backlash. Anyone who is not happy about an Obama presidency (or the leftist policies he, Pelosi, and Reid will attempt to cram down our throats) will be labeled racist. Conservative evangelicals, who have opposed President-elect Obama and his policies from the beginning, will be met with cries of, “You’re just mad that a black man won.” “Yes,” you say, “but I am not concerned with his ethnicity; I love all people… I don’t even see color.” Who cares? If I’ve learned anything during the last several months it is that people do not pay attention to, or bother to interact with the written (or spoken) word. It is much more convenient to erect strawmen and rely on ad hominem attacks.

The neo-Marxist left has achieved cultural hegemony. Through the news media, government education, and the entertainment media, Americans have been shaped and molded into the kind of people who view Ron Paul as a political hack, while applauding gay marriage (one of the first lines out of Obama’s mouth last night was an acknowledgement of homosexuals), wealth redistribution, and government intervention in the free market! How ironic. We sent our children to Caesar for their education, and yesterday they voted just like Romans (the majority of 18-30 year-olds flooded the polls for Obama whether they were professing “Christian” or not). These young people believe hatred and racism are America’s biggest problems, and that the election of Mr. Obama is the cure (along with Hate Crimes Legislation). They believe America is evil because we don’t have universal healthcare like the Europeans. They believe homosexuality is innate, the existence poverty is a sin, and abortion is an ethical (and completely personal) means of birth control. They believe in anthropogenic global warming, Darwinian evolution, Gramscian Marxism, and Freudian Psychology. In short, they believe what they’ve been taught during their 14,000 hours of government indoctrination. And yesterday, we saw the culmination of this cultural hegemony as Obama beat McCain like a tied up goat.

But do not despair. We survived Presidents like Wilson, Carter, and Clinton. We can survive President Obama. “…Even so, come Lord Jesus.” (Revelation 22:2)

VB

Whomever you intend to vote for, please go vote. Many Americans have fought, bled and died in order to secure your right to do so. The rhetoric has bee intense this election season. Some evangelicals are treating this election like it is the end of the world… again (Clinton/Bush, Clinton/Dole, Bush/Gore, and Bush/Kerry all over again). My faith, and my God are too big for that. Whichever candidate wins the election, my God will not be surprised, and his redemptive plan will not be thwarted. Nevertheless, as citizens of this great country, we owe it to ourselves, our countrymen, and our forefathers to get out and vote.

There are people who will tell you that you are in sin if you vote for Obama. There are others who will tell you that you are in sin if you vote for McCain. Still others say you are in sin if you vote third party. Though I have been accused of a couple of these, I have said neither (nor would I). That is not my place. On yesterday, I stood before the people in our congregation and simply exhorted them to go and vote (at the end of the service, after a sermon that had absolutely nothing to do with the election and absolutely everything to do with the gospel of Jesus Christ!).

I have thoroughly enjoyed blogging and interacting with people about this election. I have learned a great deal. Some of it has been quite disturbing, but much of it has been rather encouraging. Most encouraging of all has been the freedom I have enjoyed. I have not had to worry about armed officers storming my home, or raiding our church. I have not had to worry about censure, or reprisals (politically speaking). I may have lost a few friends, but I had too many to start with. On the other hand, I discovered that people really do read (and in some cases even enjoy) my blog! All in all, it has been a great experience.

My goal in all of this has been simple. I want to help Christians THINK BIBLICALLY when it comes to politics. I have tried to state and restate my points/positions as they have frequently been distorted and/or misrepresented in both mainstream and Christian media. I have tried to be biblical and even-handed. All this in an effort to get believers to act like believers when election day rolls around. Our culture is in serious trouble. And while this election will absolutely not fix the trouble we’re in, it is an important part of what it means to be a free people. Tomorrow, the American people will make a statement about what they believe America should be. Don’t let others (including me) speak for you. Go let your voice be heard. Vote your conscience. Vote your convictions. But by all means… VOTE!

VB

Yesterday, as we left church, I turned on the radio (I am an XM Radio junkie) and it was tuned to Fox News (I’m also a Fox News Junkie). Before I could turn the channel, I heard Neil Cavuto mention the ubiquitous ‘Joe the Plumber’. I simply had to hear what Joe was going to say. I have been saddened by the way the Dems have attacked Joe. In fact, they have treated him almost as repulsively as the Republicans who have exploited him. All the while, good-ole-Joe has been a great sport. He has ranged from great insights (nailing Obama on redistribution of wealth) to colossal gaffs (admitting that he accused Obama of being a threat to Israel while knowing nothing of his record on the subject), but there has never been a dull moment with ‘Joe the Plumber’ on the scene. Yesterday was no exception.

Cavuto managed to press Joe until he admitted that McCain was almost as big a socialist as Obama due to his desire to ‘bailout’ home owners (you’ve gotta love Joe’s honesty), then he revisited the ‘Joe the Plumber’ for Congress rumors. It was here that Joe (whose presence on the campaign trail has made me wince) made my day. In responding to Cavuto’s question about running for Congress, Joe said he would not do it because of his duty to his family. He mentioned his thirteen year-old son and the importance of his role as a father. Cavuto came back with the age-old, “you can take your family to Washington” argument, but Joe held his ground. It was refreshing, and ironic at the same time.

I don’t know if Joe the Plumber is going to stick to his guns. However, in a time when staunch pro-family conservatives are falling all over themselves to promote Sarah Palin as a pro-family VP pick, Joe the Plumber set the record straight. Sacrificing your family on the altar of a political career is not pro-family. As I have said before, I am unapologetic in my application of a double standard here. I believe men and women have different responsibilities in the home (Titus 2:5; 1 Tim. 5:14, etc.). Thus, not every politician with children is in the same boat (gotta love those, “what if Sarah was a man” emails). I just hope that in the post-Palin era, we see more of Joe’s type of commitment and less of Sahah’s.

VB

I’ve decided to put Voddie Baucham’s blog posts on my site. I really can’t suport this guy’s ministry enough.  He’s a great speaker, passionate about the truth of the Bible, and a really great person.  I’ve learned so much through his study “The Ever Loving Truth,” and I just want to support his ministry even in a small way.  Enjoy!

If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. - John 15:19

Dear World,

For too long I have put too much of my faith in you.  I’ve recognized this as a trend that must end.  It has become clear to me that the people who belong to you do not have my best interests at heart.  I know this is is not true across the board, but too many times have I relied on your people to help me, look out for me, or care for me.  This has only gotten me betrayal, lies, theft, and, in the end, heartbreak.  I don’t blame your people for this, rather I blame myself for having trusted them and not the Person I truly work for.  However, as of this day, that will no longer be the case.  I will still treat your people with respect, kindness, and gentleness, as I always have.  However, I will no longer put my any faith in them to look after my best interests, but rather in the One who truly does care for me.

Sincerely,

Ben

Image by Fr Antunes via Flickr

So glad my small group is off of our summer hiatus and back in the swing of things!  We kicked off our first study night be getting right back into our study on Christian Worldview and Apologetics via the Voddie Baucham series entitled “The Ever Loving Truth.”  I’ve been really impressed with this study so far, and session 4 didn’t disappoint.  The 5 day study took you through verses in Proverbs, John, 2 Timothy, and others to show how God inspired the Bible and that it is the final authority for everday living.  We went through the fact that Christ is God’s final word to us, and that there is no further revelation to us (I argued that we would have more revelation in the End Times, but I could be wrong in that.  I didn’t fall on my sword over it ) and what it would mean if God did give us further revelation now.  Our group had a great discussion over the topics, and I really felt encouraged by the participation and points that the group made.  It’s so encouraging to hear how God working in their lives!  Can’t wait for next time!