Here’s a link to Bethlehem Baptist Church’s statement on their beliefs on the Five Points of Calvinism (led by Pastor John Piper). I would say that this is consistent with what we believe. It is thorough enough (though not exhaustive) to communicate the sense of what we mean by the term Calvinism and the Doctrines of Grace.
Also, here’s a link to the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith (our church’s confession).
Our Statement of Faith (more…)
One more encouragement before we get earnestly into the body of the conversation…
The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. [Acts 17:10-11]
Most people, a friend once told me, are down on what they ain’t up on. Copernicus was executed for suggesting that the earth revolved around the sun, and not vice versa. Galileo died under house arrest for attempting to convince the intelligentsia (which, in the interest of full disclosure, included prominent churchmen!) of the same thing. Galileo had devised a handy little devise called the “telescope” that proved his theory. But (more…)
A good number of evangelical Christians are unaware that there was such a thing as the Protestant Reformation. While they may be aware that they are not Roman Catholic, a typical evangelical may be ignorant of what those differences are…you know, apart from the funny hats and the confessional. (more…)
Richard Baxter, the 17th century Puritan and author of The Reformed Pastor, said, “In necessary things, unity; in doubtful things, liberty; and in all things, charity.” These grace-filled words have helped me on more than one occasion. At times when I have been tempted to engage in battle with someone in a less than helpful way, they have echoed in my heart and mind, and have served to keep me from asserting my opinions with excessive certainty. The hard part in all of this is determining what is a necessary thing and what is a doubtful thing.
Sometimes doubtful things are taken to be necessary things and wars are unnecessarily waged. Conversely, sometimes necessary things are relegated to the status of doubtful, and we become loose with what is central to our faith. Knowing the difference is wisdom.
In recent days certain doctrinal positions held by our church have come under attack… (more…)
Our church, a Southern Baptist one, is considering the move to weekly Communion. We used to do it weekly, but moved away from the practice for a variety of reasons. Now, we are thinking it through again, and it looks like that will be the direction we take.
I say all this to introduce a question: Does the eating and drinking of the Lord’s Supper have a cumulative effect? (more…)
Being a Southern Baptist who holds to Reformed theology is messy. I am connected to a denomination (more accurately, a convention) that is either largely unaware of or antagonistic toward this theological perspective. I don’t really talk about Reformed theology much outside a smallish group of friends, because my main objective in life is not to convert people to a Reformed perspective, but to see and reveal the glory of Christ. I find I can do that without mentioning Calvin, the TULIP or the Protestant Reformation. In some ways, in fact, I would consider myself (to take advantage of the parlance of our time) post-Reformed. By this I mean (more…)
If you know anything of George Muller, then you are probably thinking this thought: “orphan-man.” And rightly so. Through the five orphanages that George Muller established in Bristol, England, he provided care for 10,024 orphans, of which 4 to 5,000 became believers. He also established over 117 day schools, educating roughly 122,000 children in England, Scotland, India, Malacca, British Guiana, Essequibo, Belize, Spain, France and Italy. An estimated 20,000 of these children were converted. His Scripture Institute gave out more than 270,000 Bibles in various languages and 1,440,000 New Testaments. £258,000 was raised for missions. In today’s American dollar, that is approximately $24,764,891.69 (via Measuring Worth). Over 109,000,000 books, pamphlets, tracts were published and distributed. Nearly 500 missionaries were sent, converting an approximate 20,000 souls. At his death, his possessions were a few pieces of furniture, books and £60. No earthly treasures, no retirement fund, no inheritance.
Amazing… the power of a believing man. More amazing still, the power of what that man believed in, condescending to us, using us as a means to His merciful and gracious ends.
information from the book George Muller by William H. Harding
see also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Muller
his original narratives via Dust and Ashes Publications
[Shamelessly appropriated from Mutiny. Thanks, SG!]
This quote was on the banner at the Boar’s Head Tavern this evening. I find it compelling.
The primary problem confronting the Christian Church in a post-modern world is not whether Christian claims about God can be debated in credible ways with alternating accounts (logos) of abstract reasoning. Rather, the challenge is about ethos of Christian witness. Can particular Christian communities produce and sustain the kind of witness to God in which their practices of discipleship can serve as credible signs of God’s reconciling work in the world? -Michael Cartwright
Thanks banner guy at bht.
My friend Al has a C.S. Lewis quote embedded in his email signature. I’m both loving it and stealing it for your pleasure.
“We all want progress, but if you’re on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive.”
AJ Vanderhorst shares a family tradition that is at once hilarious and warming. You’d do yourself a nice thing by reading this post. Do you have family traditions like this? Familiar but distinct. Common but heavenly. Humbling but encouraging. Grounding but freeing.
 | kevin on Odds and Ends |
| kevin on Controversy |
 | David Allis on The Problem With Preachin… |
 | k on Theological Jackassery |
| k on CRPC Statement on Knox, G… |
