Pray for Our Nation

Though most of my readers probably also read James White's blog, I read this on there today:

If you were not praying that God would bring whole-hearted repentance (the only hope for a culture soaked in evil), you had better start now. Your kids, your grandkids, and every generation thereafter, will be facing the results of this kind of degradation of our nation. God bless America…with heart-felt, behavior changing, Spirit-borne repentance.

He was commenting about the recent horrible, evil decision a federal judge in California rendered about Proposition 8. You can read the rest of Dr. White's article here. I strongly recommend it, and please, please pray to God for wholehearted repentance in this land, which I recommend all the more.

sdg,
dbh

Contemplating Christian Character in Correspondence

May our glorious God and Savior, Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit, keep sin from me and guide me into righteousness. Please, Lord, make it so. Amen.[1]

Perhaps this post would be better titled, "A Cry for Prayerful Self Examination." I am a preacher, however, so perhaps alliteration runs strong with me.

Not that long ago, Dr. James White posted a video on his blog that challenged some claims Dr. Ergun Caner made on the Pastor's Perspective radio program (at least I think it is a radio program; perhaps it is a webcast; I am not sure) put out by Calvary Chapel. Dr. White called what Dr. Caner said about Reformed Apologists and their debates "dishonest," and Dr. White took what Dr. Caner said to be directed at him. Here is a link to the video if anyone is interested in viewing it; I would recommend it if, for no other reason, than it would give the appropriate information and background to what I am saying here.

Picking up on this video, Pastor Tim Rogers posted an article over at SBC Today here. The post seemed to take the form of a defense of Dr. Caner's credentials.[2]

Shortly after the post on SBC Today, Peter Lumpkins followed with this post.

There were many, many blog posts that were fired off from supporters of Caner and supporters of White; all of the supporters for these men claim the name of Christ.

Dr. White posted another article on his blog dealing with the issues on SBC Today and Peter Lumpkins' blog here, and then posted an article here, addressing Dr. Caner and the ongoing question about the statements Dr. Caner made regarding his own words in the videos Dr. White included in his own. In this last post by Dr. White (which includes a link to Caner's partial explanation, here), Dr. White presses Caner further with the issue of Caner's documented statements about many things, as well as wishes him success in opposing missional strategies that compromise the Gospel.

I write this blog post not to critique Dr. White, Dr. Caner, Peter Lumpkins, Tim Rogers, or anyone in particular. I write it so that we, as Christians, will be more inclined to critique ourselves.

I would encourage everyone reading this post to have a look at the comments sections of the SBC Today blog and Mr. Lumpkins' blog. Read through them, at least some of them, and I suspect you'll see the same thing I did. If you find yourself siding exclusively with one set of comments regardless of how they are presented (say, the Calvinists against the non-Calvinists, (which generally would be White's supporter against Caner's supporters), read this quote and look again:

Do not delight so much in a person's viewpoint that you become corrupted by an un-Christian spirit.
-- John Piper, from the audio of a sermon he preached on 1 Peter 2:13-17

I am of course not saying that we shouldn't take any kind of a position, or if you will, a side in such matters. I am not one opposed to correcting others, and as I've mentioned in my own rules for engagement, welcome correction to me if I am in error.

What prompted me to write this post was the manner in which people commented, which in many cases, clearly demonstrated an un-Christian spirit. From both sides there seems to have been a lack of gentleness in general, something that we most definitely ought to have toward one another as brothers and sisters in Christ.

Now, before reading any farther in this post, I want you to click this link and read the page in its entirety, including the link to Dan Phillips' post on TeamPyro in it, if you have not already done so. Yes, I know it is long, but it is important and quite worth your time, I assure you. Please be sure to read it and the rest of this post before commenting.

We Are a Sinful People

As a Reformed Baptist, and therefore a Calvinist, I claim to understand the horrid nature of man's depravity, and sin in general. All Christians, if they truly are Christians, understand sin enough to know that God hates it, and they needed to repent of it and have faith in Christ to be saved. Calvinists, by our own profession of doctrine, ought to understand it even more. Sin is a horrible, evil, permeating wickedness that is ever present, assailing us in a myriad of forms. We war against it constantly; it is a bitter enemy, and though it is true that in Christ we are continually gaining ground against it as the Spirit works sanctification in our lives, we must never grow slack in the battle against the flesh. Never be naive as to think that sin is not with us, looking over our shoulders, whispering in our ears, desiring to have us betray our Lord and Master at any moment. The apostle John said it well:

1 John 1:8
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

We should also remember that the Apostle Paul struggled against sin greatly, and I doubt any of us would claim a level of holiness equal with him.

Such a realization should give us pause, drive us to our knees, and cause us to cry out to God any time we open our mouths or allow our fingers to brush across a keyboard. We should ask and beseech our God and Savior, Jesus Christ, to keep us from sin and to grant us that we would show forth His majesty and wonder as we speak or write or do whatever, knowing our own tendency to do the opposite.

We Must Be Accurate in What We Address

Proverbs 18:13
If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.

I have this Bible verse printed out and hanging over my computer. It is a constant reminder to me when I am sitting at this machine, always admonishing me to have all of the facts about something before I make a statement about it. It reminds me that I need to be about asking questions about things when I am not sure before coming out with a statement that sounds like I am sure. All of us should hear, and hear well before giving an answer.

Anything less is a violation of Proverbs 18:13.

Anything less, therefore, is sin.

I truly think that we as human beings, even as Christians, are very prone to the error warned against in this simple proverb. We would all do well to ask a lot more questions before making statements about things or assuming something about an event or person. It would go a long way in avoiding offense, and even better, in avoiding sin.

Now, am I saying that Tim Rogers or Peter Lumpkins or James White or Ergun Caner or Tom Ascol or any of the dozens of commenters on those blogs are guilty of this violation -- this sin?

Let's just say, given my own failures in this area, it wouldn't surprise me if that were the case with much of what was said. Further, for those who are not guilty of it in this situation, not a one of them, if they are honest with themselves and humble before God, wouldn't appreciate this reminder to remain steadfast against this sin and others; I shall trust that is how my post will be taken.

So then I ask, no, plead with anyone reading this post who has any kind of public ministry, whether it be in a blog or elsewhere: war against sin! Think twice, even a third time before you speak. Honoring our God by obeying His Word and loving our brothers and sisters is our highest priority.

May God grant us grace to obey Him,
David B. Hewitt



_______________________________________________

1. I hope such is the prayer for us all as we dare to enter into the blogosphere as Christians. How easy it is to stumble.

2. Whether or not the video Dr. White produced had anything to do with Dr. Caner's credentials is irrelevant to my post, so I won't go into it.

It's Been A While...

...and it is time to do some housecleaning on the site. :) For too long have I been away, and have not kept up with reading and studying (and often those result in blogging, which is why this blog has remained silent for so long). Such is beginning to change, and I am thankful for it!

I'll be tidy-ing up the blog over the next few days, and produce a post or two on subjects such as Creation, grace in Christian discussion, or a few other things based on some blogs/articles I've read recently and a few discussions I've had.

Sorry for being gone for so long.

David Hewitt

Thanks be to God.

It is such a blessing to see God providing.

Some of you reading this are aware that I am still without a job. So far we are holding out, and I know that God will continue to meet our needs. How He does so, however, is truly amazing, and it brings many a tear of thanks to my eyes to see it when it happens.

At church this past Sunday, one of the men asked to see me for a moment. He then handed me a large number of Kroger gift cards. We went shopping today and I found out that they are also good at the gas pumps out in front of the store. So, my family has money enough to eat for over another month and also to put gas in the car, just because of some gift cards.

Thanks be to our AWESOME God, who meets all our needs in Christ Jesus[1].

SDG,
dbh


______________________________________

1. It's also worth to note that this is just the latest in how God has met our needs. Others from our church have been blessings as well to be sure, but this last one I guess added enough weight to prompt the post. Praise be to GOD in Christ for His provision.

Interview Audio from the Recent SBC

     I was interested to find out that these audio files have been made available! They are interviews of many a person in SBC life on various topics that happened at the latest Southern Baptist Convention. I haven't listened to them yet, but recognizing many of the names in the list, I expect I'll find many a thing to smile about... and perhaps a few things NOT to smile about. :)

SDG,
dbh

Video of Dr. Ascol's Resolution Being Discussed at the SBC

     During the recent SBC annual meeting Dr. Tom Ascol of Founders Ministries brought a resolution on Integrity on Church Membership to the floor of the Convention, which was, sadly, defeated again as it was last year.

     There was some interesting discussion that went along with it, and Tony Kummer has made available a 14 minute video of the proceedings. It is worth your time to view it if you are a Southern Baptist who is concerned about this issue.

SDG,
dbh

Another Noteworthy Response to Calvinism Misrepresentations

     Roy Hargrave is the pastor of Riverbend Church in Ormond Beach, Florida. Recently, he published an open letter in response to events in the Florida Baptist Convention regarding some sermons (one of which was anti-Calvinistic) that were sent out to all of the pastors in the state by the state convention. It's worth your time to read through it!

SDG,
dbh

I'm among the ranks of the unemployed for the moment.

         I would ask that you pray that I would find another job soon (before the end of July; that's when I receive my last paycheck from my previous job) so that there would be bills paid and food on the table.

Many thanks!

SDG,
dbh

Boyce is BACK!

I saw this on Founders today, and I'm going to order one! Normally it would retail for $29.95 but they are selling them at $12.50 from now until the end of November! The link to the book is on the blog page I linked to above.

If people are wondering about Southern Baptist theological heritage, well, you probably cannot get a better source than the founder of Southern Seminary and early president of the SBC (for 8 years no less).

Highly recommended.

SDG,
dbh

Truly amazing...

This morning my wife and I went to Pleasant Heights Baptist Church in Indianapolis. When we walked in, we were greeted, and then treated ourselves to some of the church information literature they had on a nearby table.

Currently they are going through Children Desiring God in the children's Sunday School, and I was thrilled to discover that. The pastor also told me that they plan on getting it for the youth once the curriculum has been completed.

Another of the brochures we read had what looked to be a church motto:

God-centered, Bible-focused

From what we saw in Sunday School and heard from the Pulpit, this was definitely an accurate description of the church. The sermon was the absolute best thing I've heard on a Sunday morning in a long time.

We'll definitely be going back, and, after a few more conversations with the pastor, perhaps we'll join. I'm not setting anything in stone yet to be sure, but it was truly wonderful to be in such a place that holds the Word of God in such high esteem and shows it by their proclamation.

SDG,
David Hewitt

Well, it's done.

This morning, my family and I left Calvary Baptist Church in Greenwood, Indiana. We'd been there for a couple of years, and they sponsored us in our church start. It saddens me greatly, but I truly saw no other option given events of last Thursday.

I am going to write a list of reasons and email them to the church staff, hoping to show that I had some real concerns and still do - I will continue to pray for Calvary because of the direction I fear it is heading.

I thought about posting that list here, but decided against it after the wise counsel of some dear brothers at Calvary. There would be little point in it; the world doesn't need to see all of the problems. So, unless I end up getting a lot of untrue accusations (which I doubt will happen), I won't post it.

I will continue to post reviews of statements made in the last sermon I heard from my former pastor. May God use them for the glory of His Name.

Thank you all who have prayed and are continuing to do so.

SDG,
DBH

Some thoughts on responsibility.

I can't remember all of the examples that made this seem so timely, but Carla Rolfe has posted an excellent article on her blog about the views of some with regard to what they claim they can do with their freedom in Christ.

It's worth your time.

SDG,
DBH

An Interesting Lord's Day

My pastor delivered a message today that attacked the Reformed interpretation of several passages (including 1 John 2:2 and 2 Peter 3:9). He also made a comment about "free will" to the extent of if we chose what clothing to wear, then we have free will, and the case is closed.

This came after he read some of Dr. James White's book, The Potter's Freedom. I'm still wondering how he came to such conclusions afterwards, but well, I just don't know very much. :)

God willing, I hope to procure a copy of the sermon (and make it available here) to make sure I'm citing him correctly, and then to go through it point by point. Further, this is only telling me how important it is to understand "free will" theology, and also tells me that I need to finish my posts on the matter.

SDG,
DBH

Working on Another Long Post

Due to some recent discussions I've been having and monitoring over at a Roman Catholic discussion forum, I'm working on a lengthy, Scriptural response to much of what was said over there.

Expect it within the next couple of days, assuming I get my other work done. :)

On another note, Carla Rolfe has posted a great article on women in ministry over at her blog, and you can find it here. Some of my friends were curious about the role of women and headship in blogs and comments, and I think she and her first commenter answer the issue pretty well.

Soli Deo Gloria!
DBH

Phil Johnson on the "Emergent Conversation"

After the things I've seen over the last couple of days, seeing Phil Johnson's post about the emergent church stuff over at TeamPyro was refreshing. It was clear that the man didn't have a personal axe to grind in his brief review, and he pointed out some good things about Driscoll's differences with the predominant emergent culture.

In any case, it isn't very long, and is worth your read!

SDG,
DBH

**** UPDATE **** 10:30pm 8/5/2006

Phil Johnson updated his article at noon today (after I linked to it). It has much more information than before. So much for it not being long. :)

A Confession

I do hope this is the last time I refer to my post on Erwin McManus. As I have been thinking about it and talking about it with Andrew and Patrick a bit over the last few days, I have come to three conclusions, and they are as follows (with elaboration):

1.) There wasn't anything wrong with the facts that I stated -- that is, WHAT I said. Even though I surely could have had more information about McManus, that wasn't my goal. I reviewed a short interview, and I interacted with the statements he made within that interview. It was not meant as a comprehensive analysis of the man's ministry. Yes, I said in the article that it seemed that he has his priorities out of order with regard to doctrine, but it doesn't necessarily follow that his actual doctrines are in error from that. If I am wrong in my analysis of his attitude toward doctrine, I'd love to be shown to be in error. So far, that hasn't happened.

2.) It appears that I used a proper format in the critiqure -- that is, HOW I said it. I made much effort to be gentle, and even lauded Erwin in a few areas that were revealed in that interview that I thought were excellent. There were some criticisms, but I do feel that the way I handled it was in line with the Scriptures. Again, if someone can show me from the Scriptures how I've erred here, I'll repent publically.

3.)I wrote the review, in part, because of Patrick our youth minister, giving a book by Erwin to our students -- the reason WHY I did it. Here is where I made a BIG MISTAKE, and I want to repent of that publicly since the error was commited publicly. Patrick didn't say I had to do this; he was content to receive my repentance in private, but I wanted to bring this to the forefront.

When I wrote the post, I had received a link from a friend in #prosapologian with the information I reviewed. So then, I went to work reading through the article, and saw some things that were objectionable and decided I finally had something I could write about. My motivation was to raise a red flag, so that people who read this blog (some of our youth included) would see that and have some discernment when reading the books Patrick was giving out.

In the process, unwittingly (I know, total doofus that I was) I was in effect saying that Patrick had no discernment, and that he couldn't be trusted.

Patrick is the youth pastor at our church. Therefore, he is one of the elders of our church (though we don't call them that or give them the proper authority they should have). Furthermore, I am under his authority both as a member under an elder and the fact that I teach a youth Sunday School class. Beyond that, I asked him a while back to review content on my blog and hold me accountable to it, so that this blog would be a ministry of our church and thus under the authority of it (which I thought was appropriate). And here I am saying that he didn't know what he was talking about and was haphazardly recommending things for our students to read.

There is but one way to describe what I did in that regard -- I was wrong. I sinned; it is really that simple. God has placed him over the youth ministry, not me, and therefore I was out of line. I realize that now.

Anyway, there you have it. I do now hope the discussion of the post will end for all parties involved. :)

A Worm Redeemed by Christ,
David Benjamin Hewitt

Rules for Engagement

There are a few things that I'd like to put forward here as rules for commenting. Really, the comments that people have put here have never been bad to my knowledge. Part of the reason I'm doing this is because of some things that I've encountered recently in regards to correcting theology here and there that I've witnessed on other blogs, and should I post a few things here, I wanted to clarify a few things. Be assured however, these rules apply for any post I write. :)

1.) I usually write about the things that I am dealing with right now. That is, I'll post on theological issues that I am currently thinking about. If you're curious what brings on my thoughts, well, there you go. :)

2.) I welcome correction. That is, if I am wrong about something I want to know, and if I publicly say something in error and am shown to be in error, I'll repent publicly. However, there are rules for correcting me (or anyone who comments here), and I fully expect ANY disagreement to be done with the full control of how Scripture says we ought to rebuke each other. If you want to object to something I'm saying, do NOT violate these premises. Read the article I just linked to, all of it, and be aware that if you do NOT post in accordance with the gentleness the Scriptures require you'll likely have your post deleted. You've been warned! :) In addition, if you are going to say more in a post than "Nice post" or a simple short comment and want to bring something to the discussion (disagreement or otherwise) please read the ENTIRE post before commenting. If you say something in a comment that was addressed in the post directly and it doesn't seem like you paid attention to what has already been written, I'll probably just point you back to the original post. :) So, quoting the part (using quotes, italics, bold, etc.) you wish to discuss is probably a good idea.

3.) Any argument you have against a position I or someone else takes needs to be supported with the teaching of Scripture in its proper context. Of course, you can post one or two verses and have it support your argument, but you need to make sure the context of those verses supports the interpretation you are giving them. If you are not a Christian and coming here, you probably shouldn't respond much except to ask questions. :)

4.) No cussing or profanity whatsoever. That should be pretty straightforward.

5.) I expect everyone who posts here to be open to correction just as I stated in section 1 for myself.

6.) No attacking people, period. If you disagree with someone, either here or abroad, then say so, and do so with the Christian charity I've already mentioned. Under no circumstances will insults be tolerated against anyone (stupid, moron, negative remarks about a person's intelligence or character, etc.). If something a person says is not biblical, then attack what they said (BIBLICALLY), and if a person is set in an unscriptural habit/practice/belief, then pray for that person. Not even Michael insulted Satan, and since he's (Satan) worse than any of us, I expect that people will treat each other with respect.

7.) Do NOT get defensive. If and when someone disagrees with you, keep your cool. When you're defensive, you're just probably airing your own sinful desire to save face, thinking "how DARE he say this/that about me/what I believe!" To help, try to keep this perspective: the very fact that you were able to think, read, breathe, and whatever else you needed to do to understand the comments that upset you -- those things were God's grace toward you. You deserve much worse than that person said, and such should be the motivation for praise and thanksgiving to God for His mercy. Respond with that in mind, please.

8.) "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." -- 1 Corinthians 10:31

9.) Personal preference here, but when you site Bible verses, if you don't link to them, please include an abbreviation for the translation you are using, (ie, ESV, NASB, NIV, NLT, CEV, ASV, etc.) Unless otherwise noted, for myself, I'll be using the English Standard Version (ESV) for everything.

Thanks you for dropping by, and I look forward to how God will encourage us through each other!

For the Glory of Jesus,
David Benjamin Hewitt