Miscellaneous Musings

Today is busy, busy, busy, but I still would like to post a few things in no particular order.

Sermon from this past Sunday

I preached on King Josiah from 2 Chronicles 34 on the topic, “How To Know Revival Has Happened.” We schedule revival meetings each Spring and ours kicks off with a Youth Rally on Saturday the 18th at 7:00 p.m., followed by the revival services led by Pastor Roddie Taylor from Trinidad on the 19th through the 21st.

If you’d like to listen to the sermon via RealAudio, click here. This will be up for the next month or so.

I Get Fearful When I Hear of People Angry

Sometimes people come to me with such anger and rage in their hearts over past (or sometimes present) grievances with someone else in their life, I begin to get nervous. Last night we looked at Genesis 4. Cain’s anger led to murder and all murders have anger backing them. Jesus even mentioned that if you have anger in your heart you have committed murder in your heart as well and that your worship is cut off and useless until that anger is dealt with and reconciliation ensues.

If you find yourself angry, settle your accounts quickly — for God’s sake, for your sake, and for your relationships’ sake.

The IMB-Baptism Issue

The issue does seem to be the eternal security issue, not just the mode of baptism. One pointed out correctly that this will always be the case with Southern Baptists — immersion will always be the mode. But whether a baptism that takes place in evangelical churches that do not hold to eternal security, that’s the primary issue here that is now being made policy.

The NCAA Tournament Begins

For me, the Tourney is the Super Bowl, the World Series, Daytona, and the NBA Finals rolled all into one. This is the best time of the year for this college sports fan. I am both a Louisville Cardinal fan (no tourney this year after a Final Four run last year) and a Florida Gator fan (grew up an hour from Gainesville). I’m happy with their No. 3 seed. We’ll see how far they can go this year after winning the SEC tournament for the second straight year.

Who do you think will make it to the Final Four? Here’s my picks:

Atlanta: Texas (Duke is just running out of steam)
Washington, D.C.: UConn (Calhoun just knows how to win)
Oakland: UCLA (or Gonzaga — have you seen that Morrison kid?)
Minneapolis: Florida (this is a biased pick — Go GATORS!!)

For a printable bracket in pdf format, click here.

Comments about my Comments section

Just to be clear, every comment that I receive in my blog I do not post. Some have asked me about this. I have some simple ground rules. If you are condescending, a smart aleck, or just plan smug, I will not post it… not for my own sake (I can handle it) but for yours.

Case in point: someone rightly pointed out that I misquoted Charles Schulz in a last post. He emailed me, I fixed it, but didn’t post his comments because I simply thought he was letting me know for informational purposes. When I didn’t post it, he sends me another comment through the blog:

“I see you fixed it … you’re welcome.” I couldn’t respond to the guy because I didn’t have his individual e-mail. This particular person comes across as quite smug in this arena. I did not post it because I did not want this perception to continue for him.

Just wanted you to be aware! One may not like this policy, but that’s what’s in place. In the meantime, be careful how you come across — especially as a seminary student. I hope some of you are not this smug and contentious in your ministry settings. It will not serve you well.

Miscellaneous Thoughts

Josh Buice, a 3rd year divinity student at Southern, has been engaged in a discussion with a 32nd degree Freemason (maybe two) as I have been over the last few days. This same 32nd degree Mason noted that those who believe in a literal interpretation and rendering of the Bible will have a hard time with the Masons. Plus there is a definite gnostic influence to this organization where more knowledge (gnostic comes from the Greek gnosis which means ‘knowledge’) is acquired the higher one rises in the ranks. (See the original article and ensuing comments here). So my concerns seem to be growing in how a Christian can reconcile being in the Masons. Stay tuned — this has been very helpful!

A praise. The man I went to see in the hospital did indeed receive Jesus Christ as His sole Lord and Savior. Keep him in prayer — his heart is still quite weak and damaged… but bodies wear out. I praise God that through His Sovereign grace He sought to bring this man into the Kingdom!

Why do we trust the Scriptures as our authority? Are they truly inspired, or really just a collection of writings by gifted holy men? Of all the holy writings around, why do we treasure the Word of God, the Holy Bible — as opposed to the Book of Mormon, the Nag Hammadi, or even the Koran? John MacArthur, pastor of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, CA, and host of Grace to You outlines the answer to this question here. (I will speak more on this in upcoming posts — time with pastoral duties simply does not permit this today.)

How can you spot a false teacher? Here’s my outline from last night on 2 Peter 2.

1. They will certainly find their way into the church (2 Peter 2:1)

2. They will bring in destructive heresies secretly (2:1).

3. They will unabashedly act on their instincts and passions like animals (2:2, 12-14).

4. They will follow the way of Balaam (2:3, 15-16; Numbers 22).

5. They have not learned their lessons from past rebels and that God will rescue the godly from their oppression (2:4-9).

6. They despise authority — especially that of our Lord Jesus (2:10).

7. They are bolder than even the angels in heaven (2:11).

8. They promise freedom while they themselves are enslaved (2:19-20)

9. They would have been better off not to know the way of righteousness at all (2:21-22)

(Couple this with The Acid Test post from Tuesday — and this should be a good initial grid for you to work by.)

Have an exceedingly blessed day in Christ Jesus.

http://www.twowaystolive.com .