Guest Article

How Dr. Dobson [And YOU] Can Take a Risk for True Greatness

by Dr. Richard A. Jones
(from American Vision)

I knew that a January 15, 2008 Focus on the Family (FOTF) radio program would be challenging as I listened to Dr. James Dobson and Rev. John MacArthur join forces. Their topic was the obvious fact of national moral decay with the culmination of the two-day series being the role played by the public schools in contributing to the decay. The failed schools defy common sense so I listened to see if their stress would be on what parents need to do about what public schools are doing to their children, or whether a sense of perplexed anguish would be the theme. Sadly, it was mainly, “How did they ever get this bad?”

MacArthur and Dobson did their best, but ultimately their joint anxiety had to have confused listening parents more than supplying inspiring guidance. The point FOTF was trying to make began, as it should have, with the diagnosis that ours is a nation beset by sin. MacArthur even went so far as to say that God has already abandoned us. At the end of day two, FOTF set about confirming his conclusion with a school story dramatizing that deteriorating public schools prove how much we really do deserve His abandonment.

I respect and agree with Rev. MacArthur about our society’s moral decline, nevertheless his remarks contained a half-sad, half-amusing inconsistency leading up to the school story I’ll present in a minute. Using Psalm 81:11–16, a great passage, he said we’ve reached a point where only prayers for revival can possibly help the U.S. which made me wonder, which is it to be, abandonment or revival? But even if revival is possible, will God’s response mean an extended season of righteousness and moral sanity, or can we, at best, hope only for a brief reprieve prior to the end-times chaos that MacArthur’s doubtful eschatology predicts? To me, his call for revival sounds more nearly like a dutiful cliché than something truly attainable. After all, he’s already told us that trying to “[reclaim] the culture is a pointless, futile exercise.” I’m convinced, he writes, that “we live in a post-Christian society—a civilization that exists under God’s judgment.” Perhaps he even believes that the sick public schools are proof positive of that judgment. I hope, however, that his pessimistic assessment will be resisted by AV readers. Instead, far-sighted parents must meet the school dilemma head on and put it to rest via the biblical obedience solution you’ll find at the end of this article.

As a climax for the two-day FOTF presentation, a recording was presented obtained during a student assembly at a Boulder, Colorado, high school last April 2007. The purpose in airing it was presumably to give more evidence of abandonment by God. The tape featured a visiting group from the morally sordid “Conference on World Affairs” organization. On tape their several representatives were pushing concepts so repugnant that FOTF asked the home radio audience to remove their little ones before listening. On it, 9th thru 12th graders asked the panel about sex, drugs, and alcohol; questions which were answered with a strong encouragement to “do it.” (“Responsibly,” of course, the COWA added.) Included were plenty of endorsements for homosexual sex as well.

Following the tape, Dr. Dobson’s program-closing response came as a shock given what he already knows about the anti-moral, anti-education, anti-Christian public school agenda of lunacy. His first words were that he “could have wept” at what he’d just heard. “Why do parents permit it?,” he cried. “Who is holding the schools responsible?” What? It’s not as though this kind of school depravity is anything new, having been the norm now for years, countrywide. Even Dobson himself has written lamenting about it. Not only that, he’s clearly suggested that homeschooling is the best education option.

But it’s what Dobson didn’t say that hurts; namely that the real solution to the public school disaster is for Christians to gird up their loins of obedience and simply remove their children from the schools. It’s late, but not too late. One wonders why Dr. Dobson misses this. After all he has Moses (Deut. 6:1–9) and the prophets (Ps. 1; Prov. 1:7, 13:20, 22:6; Is. 54:13; Jer. 10:2) and Luke 6:39–40 as a guide for FOTF parents. These passages explain why God wants the kids removed. Ironically, his FOTF ministry would actually become more blessed, including increased financial blessings, if he would cast fear aside and make a “holy risk” decision to be biblically obedient.

Conversely, Rev. Albert Mohler, president of Southern Seminary and respected national radio talk host has heeded Moses and the prophets. He’s listened, heard and responded and re-responded: “I believe now is the time for responsible Southern Baptists to develop an exit strategy from the public schools. This strategy would affirm the basic and ultimate responsibility of Christian parents to take charge of the education of their own children. The strategy also affirms the responsibility of churches to equip parents, support families, and offer alternatives.” He goes on to say, “I am convinced that Southern Baptists will find their way toward a common understanding of the public school challenge. The only question is when.” These are the words of a good and wise man.

I’m praying for a true, permanent revival that may last hundreds or thousands of years before Christ returns. But, I’m also praying for another good man, Dr. Dobson, to halt FOTF silence regarding the only solution to the offense of the public schools that there is—removal of the children. I’m also praying he’ll use the biblical knowledge he knows to be true to move and inspire parents to the position a patient but demanding God requires of them. And, I pray that many of you will join with him in making this commitment your own.

email: dickjones1517 at sbcglobal dot net

Your Best Life Now?

by Daniel Nuckols

www.danspulpit.com


(Hat tip: Way of The Master Radio)

Baby Arrived and Contest Ended!

My new son was born this afternoon at 4:07 pm!!

Mom and baby are doing well.

He weighed in at 8 lbs. 1 oz.

His name is Silas.

Contest results:

Kelly Jack of Statesboro, GA. is the winner of the book contest! He guessed an even 8 pounds.

I really appreciate everyone who participated.

For those who didn't win, you may still obtain a free copy by clicking here! They currently have about 2000 in stock and they are giving them away -just pay postage!

Catechizing the Kids

I am my continuing quest to use my Sunday posts to highlight Creeds, Confessions, and Catechisms. Today I want to touch on the topic of teaching children by the means of a catechism.

Catechism is a word that has become very familiar to the Kelley family because it is one of the ways we instruct our children in the things of God.

I'm almost certain that the mere sound of the word "catechism" strikes fear into the hearts of many modern Evangelicals. Baptists in particular probably think a catechism is some sort of skin disease one catches from associating too closely with Presbyterians, but I assure you, there's nothing to be afraid of!

A catechism is simply a way of teaching by the means of a question and answer format. The teacher asks a question, and the student answers it. Most catechisms have Scripture proofs so the teacher and student can go to the Bible to see what it says on each topic. We were first introduced to this method of instruction in our children's home school curriculum which is Bible based and from a Reformed/Presbyterian theological perspective.

From what I understand, the use of catechisms was once very common in early America, but much like Creeds and Confessions, catechisms have fallen on hard times as well. As much as I appreciate programs such as AWANA and Sunday School, I'm afraid that with the advent of such programs, the majority of Christian families have relegated the theological instruction of their children entirely to the local church. In doing so, they have forsaken their duty to rear their children in the fear and admonition of the Lord.

Using a catechism in the home on a daily basis would be a great way for any Christian family to begin to follow the principles God commanded to His people in Deuteronomy 6:5-7:

"And thou shalt love the Lord they God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart. And thou shalt rehearse them continually unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou tarriest in thine house, and as thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down and when thou risest up:" -1599 Geneva Bible (emphasis added)

I have found this method of instruction to be very rewarding and profitable to my children's theological training. Because all my children are young (under 9), we use a simple Catechism designed especially for them. Not only are they learning important truths about God and the Christian faith, but I've have found this practice to be something that the children and I enjoy doing together.

If you have young children, now would be a great time to get started using a catechism. In fact, getting started won't cost you anything but a postage stamp. You can obtain a FREE Reformed/Baptistic catechism created especially for young children by writing to the following ministry:

Mt. Zion Chapel Library
2603 W. Wright St.
Pensacola, Fl. 32505
http://www.mountzion.org/

Ask for a copy of "A Catechism for Boys and Girls" by Erroll Hulse.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

New Baby, Eschatology, and a Book Contest

What on on Earth could a new baby, eschatology, and a book contest have in common?

Let's see if I can tie them all together...

As I write this, my wife is pregnant with our fourth child (our 3rd son) and she's in the early stages of labor. She's already experiencing minor "birth pangs" so our child's arrival is immanent. In fact, the doctor has said that if the baby isn't here by Monday morning, they will be taking her in for an induction procedure.

To celebrate the arrival of my 4th child. I want to give away a book called The Day And The Hour by Francis X. Gumerlock. This book contains hundreds of false predictions of dates for the Rapture and Christ's 2nd Coming, myriad speculations of the identity of the Antichrist and the Beast of Revelation, as well as a host of other eschatological tomfoolery that has been taught within the church by prophecy prognosticators of the past and present.

The chapters chronicle the details century by century. Of course, when the reader gets to the 20th century he will encounter the cream of the date setting crop with the rise of Dispensational Premillennial eschatology.

How can you win a copy of this book?

I will mail a brand new copy of The Day and the Hour to whoever guesses the exact weight of my new son, or comes the closest to the correct weight. It's simple as that!

You may leave your guesses in the comment box or email them to me at rhettswhips at yahoo dot com. Whatever method you choose to use, just be sure I there's a way for me to get in touch with you if you should happen to guess correctly.

Keep this in mind: Our smallest child weighed 7 lbs 12 ounces at birth and the largest was 9 lbs, 9 ounces. So I think the safest bet would be to stay above 7 lbs.

You've got to hurry if you want to have a chance:

The contest ends when the baby is born, so get your guesses in soon!

Surely he comes quickly!!

(If you are a Dispensationalist, you might have interpreted that the "immanent" arrival of my next son means that the baby could arrive within the next 5 minutes or in the next 5000 years, but I assure you, he really is coming quickly so get your guesses in ASAP!)

"I was a Baptist before I was saved"

Back when I was in the Church of God of Prophecy, I used to joke around with people and say "I was a Baptist before I was saved."

That statement was total bunk of course...

Prior to my conversion I was no more a Baptist than the Pope in Rome, but I got lots of chuckles with that line because some of us suffered from a kind of spiritual superiority syndrome. Basically, we were of the opinion that most Baptists were a bunch of unregenerate, beer drinking knuckleheads who believed they could live like the Devil and have full assurance of Heaven. Therefore, to hear someone say "I was a Baptist before I got saved" was a real hoot!

Prior to my conversion, I would sometimes identify myself as Baptist. You might say a "cultural Baptist," much like the Über-atheist Richard Dawkins recently identifying himself as a "cultural Christian". I had always heard my mother's side of the family claim to be Baptists, so I figured that if I wanted to get some religious nut off my back, it would be okay to call myself a Baptist.

The perception that Baptists are a carnal bunch isn't helped by all the people who claim to be Baptists, but have never been Born Again. If I were a betting man, I'd wager good money that here in the South, you could poll all the people at a Sunday NASCAR race and find that around 87% would claim to be Baptists! Furthermore, I'd bet these same "Baptists" could probably name 6 brands of beer for each of the 10 Commandments they could remember!

During my school days, many of my best friends were active members of Baptist youth groups. You know what's really sad? We all talked the same, acted the same, and broke God's commandments the same. The only difference between them and myself was that they went to church three times a week and I didn't! They claimed to believe in God and I claimed God didn't exist.

Did any of them try to reach me with the Gospel?

NO!

Until this day, some of the most reprobate people I know will tell you that they are "Baptists." They won't darken the door of a church, or invoke God's name unless it's in blasphemy, but simply because their grand-pappy used to be a deacon, they think the name "Baptist" is their spiritual pedigree or something. What's so disturbing about the majority of these unregenerate "Baptists" is that almost all of them think they are soundly saved and headed for Heaven!

With virtually no church discipline being practiced and after years of unchecked Antinomianism being spewed from many Baptist pulpits, it's really no wonder there are so many false converts who use the Baptist name. When one reads the writings of historic Southern Baptist leaders, it's plain to see that something has gone terribly awry in the SBC. The theology and practices of the typical Baptist church of today would horrify C. H. Spurgeon, J. P. Boyce, or J. L. Dagg.

I used to say I was a Baptist before I was saved, but that was a lie...

I've now been in the SBC for about a year and a half and I've seen true Baptists. True Baptists are people who fear God, love Christ, and are indwelled with the Holy Spirit. They are people who are serious about serving the Lord and seeing others come to faith in Jesus Christ. Anyone who claims to be a "Baptist" but doesn't honor Christ with their lives is a liar and the truth is not in them. A real Baptist is a Christian!

Don't be fooled by the pretenders!

May God send Revival and Reformation to the SBC and all Baptist churches!

The Atonement and the Trinity

I have made it no secret that I believe the doctrine of the Trinity is a central tenet of the the Christian faith. Far from being a "secondary issue," I believe how we understand the Bible's teaching on the Godhead will also have huge implications on other areas of our theology.

I recently began reading through the newly released book Pierced For Our Transgressions. Last night I came across a few paragraphs that I believe illustrate how the Atonement (as seen in the Penal Substitution view) was clearly the work of One God who exists in a Trinity of Divine Persons. When seen from this perspective, I think it becomes obvious why the doctrine of the Trinity is essential to Christianity:

"The doctrine of penal substitution states that God gave himself in the person of his Son to suffer instead of us the death, punishment and curse due to fallen humanity as the penalty for sin. This summary can be expanded to give some sense of how the doctrine connects with other important biblical themes.

God the Father gave his Son to save rebellious, God-hating people, knowing that he would be despised and rejected by those he had made, that he would be a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. He spared sinful people from condemnation, death and punishment, but he did not spare his own beloved Son, with whom he was well pleased.

God the Son gave himself, willingly undertaking the task appointed for him by his Father. He veiled his glory in a human body, experienced every temptation we face without succumbing to any, and lived a perfect human life. Yet he took our sin and guilt upon himself and died a cursed death, suffering in his human nature the infinite torment of the wrath and fury of his Father. After three days he was vindicated in his resurrection before being exalted to his heavenly throne. From there he rules his kingdom, awaiting the day of his glorious appearing when every eye shall see him, every knew shall bow before him, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

God the Holy Spirit, having been sent by the Father and the Son, now works in our hearts through the proclamation of the gospel to convict us of sin, righteousness and judgment, to draw us to Christ in repentance and faith, and so to unite us to Christ that we may share in every blessing he has won for us.

God the Holy Trinity thus turned aside his own righteous wrath against sinful humanity; endured and exhausted the curse of the law that stood against us; cleansed us of our sin and clothed us in Christ's righteousness; ransomed us from our slavery to sin, the world and the devil by paying our debt, cancelling the devil's power of accusation against us, and liberating us to live new lives empowered by the Spirit; triumphed over all evil powers by punishing evil in the person of the Son; and reconciled us with himself by removing the barrier of sin and enmity between us; in order that we may stand blameless and forgiven in his glorious presence, credited with the perfect righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, as adopted children of God, gazing upon his face for all eternity.

God vindicated his truthfulness by remaining faithful to his promise that sin will be punished; he manifested his justice by punishing sin and acquitting the righteous; he glorified his name by exalting his Son and placing all things under his feet; and he demonstrated his love by dying for sinners and reconciling to himself those who were once his enemies." (Pierced for Our Transgressions: Rediscovering the Glory of Penal Substitution.pp 104 & 105. bold emphasis added)

Soli Deo Gloria!

The Apostles' Creed

"There never was a man in the world without a creed. What is a creed? A creed is what you believe. What is a confession? It is a declaration of what you believe. That declaration may be oral or it may be committed to writing, but the creed is there either expressed or implied." —B.H. Carrol

After posting a the foundational confessions of a couple Baptist churches -one that was well crafted and one that was not- today I want to take a trip back in time and highlight the Apostles' Creed.

This is one of the earliest creeds in Christendom and is used in Catholic and Protestant churches alike. This creed wasn't formulated in such a way as to deal with issues concerning Christ's deity or the triune nature of the Godhead, therefore I've read that even the heretic Arius affirmed it and would often hide behind it when challenged on his teachings!

The Apostles' Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty; Maker of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. *He descended into hell. On the third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence he shall come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

* Please note: the line "He descended into Hell" has been the source of some debate. For more information, please see the following works by Wayne Grudem and John Calvin.

Immersionists: The Only Real Ministers!

Did you know that the Presbyterian theologian R. L. Dabney admitted in his Systematic Theology that he was not a member of the visible church and that Immersionists (those who baptize by immersion) are the only real ministers in the world?

He sure did!

It's in black and white in chapter 41 (p.774)!

I have the volume open and I'm looking at it right now with my own two eyes!

Here's exactly what he says:

"Again: it is preposterous that a man should receive and hold office in a commonwealth where he himself has no citizenship; but this unimmersed paedobaptist minister so called, is no member of any visible Church. There are no real ministers in the world, except the Immersionist preachers! The pretensions of all others, therefore, to act as ministers, and to administer the sacraments, are sinful intrusions."

What a shocking admission, eh?

Don't you see the obvious implications here?!!

Dabney is admitting that paedobaptists -himself included- are not members of the visible church! He plainly states that unless you are an immersionist, you are no true minister of Christ! He even confesses that it's sinful for paedobaptists to even act as a ministers or administer sacraments!!!

Okay, okay... Let me stop now. I've been deceiving you! (sorry!)

While these are Dabney's words, they actually lack the full context of what he was saying. What I did was "quote mine" R.L. Dabney's book in such a way as to show him saying that paedobaptists are not part of the visible church! Something I assure you R.L. Dabney would've never taught. Anyone well acquainted with Dabney would know this, but a novice or someone unfamiliar with the Dabney might actually fall for the gimmick.

What I want to demonstrate is that even though someone may cite an author -and provide chapter and page number as well- it is always helpful to check their sources (if possible) and see if what they are quoting is in context and if it's what the cited author was trying to convey in his work. I have encountered this ploy a number of times in the blogosphere. It happens not only with authors, but with Scripture as well. (And I imagine we've all been guilty of it to one degree or another!)

Either through ignorance or by design, not everything we see someone quote in an article may in context or being interpreted how the original author intended it to be understood. We must be careful not allow ourselves to be duped by selective citing and quote mining.

The fact is, a person can make a heretic out of just about anyone by ripping their words out of context. When citing something in an article or reading something that has been cited, remember: context is essential!

Now, what exactly was Dabney saying above?

Well, it certainly wasn't what I tried to make you think at first! Below is the entire argument in full context -with emphasis added to the sentences I took out of context above so you can see how I misused his words!

"The odious ecclesiastical consequences of the Immersionist dogma should be pressed; because they form a most potent and just argument against it. All parties are agreed, that baptism is the initiatory rite which gives membership in the visible Church of Christ. The great commission was: Go, and disciple all nations, baptizing them into the Trinity. Baptism recognizes and constitutes the outward discipleship. Least of all, can any Immersionist dispute this ground. Now, if all other forms of baptism than immersion are not only irregular, but null and void, all unimmersed persons are out of the visible Church. But if each and every member of a pedobaptist visible Church is thus unchurched: of course the whole body is unchurched. All pedobaptist societies, then, are guilty of an intrusive errors when they pretend to the character of a visible Church of Christ. Consequently, they can have no ministry; and this for several reasons. Surely no valid office can exist in an association whose claim to be an ecclesiastical commonwealth is utterly invalid. When the temple is non existent, there can be no actual pillars to that temple. How can an unauthorized herd of unbaptized persons, to whom Christ concedes no church authority, confer any valid office? Again: it is preposterous that a man should receive and hold office in a commonwealth where he himself has no citizenship; but this unimmersed pedobaptist minister so called, is no member of any visible Church. There are no real ministers in the world, except the Immersionist preachers!

The pretensions of all others, therefore, to act as ministers, and to administer the sacraments, are sinful intrusions. It is hard to see how any intelligent and conscientious Immersionist can do any act, which countenances or sanctions this profane intrusion. They should not allow any weak inclinations of fraternity and peace to sway their consciences in this point of high principle. They are bound, then, not only to practice close communion, but to refuse all ministerial recognition and communion to these intruders. The sacraments cannot go beyond the pale of the visible Church. Hence, the same stern denunciations ought to be hurled at the Lord’s Supper in pedobaptist societies, and at all their prayers and preachings in public, as at the iniquity of "baby sprinkling." The enlightened Immersionist should treat all these societies, just as he does that ’Synagogue of Satan,’ the Papal Church: there may be many good, misguided believers in them; but no church character, ministry, nor sacraments whatever.

But let the student now look at the enormity of this conclusion. Here are bodies of ministers adorned by the Lord with as many gifts and graces as any Immersionists; actually doing the largest part of all that is done on earth, to win the world to its divine Master. Here are four fifths of Protestant Christendom, exhibiting as many of the solid fruits of grace as any body of men in the world, doing nearly all that is done for man’s redemption, and sending up to heaven a constant harvest of ransomed souls. Yet are they not churches or ministers, at all: Why? Only because they have not used quite enough water in the outward form of an ordinance! What greater outrage on common sense, Christian charity, and the spirituality of Christ’s visible Church was ever committed by the bigotry of prelacy or popery? The just mind replies to such a dogma, not only with a firm negative, but with the righteous indignation of an incredulus odi. When we remember, that this extreme high churchism is enacted by a sect, which calls itself eminently spiritual, free and Protestant, the solecism becomes more repulsive. Only a part of the Immersionists have the nerve to assert this consequence. But their dogma involves it; and it is justly pressed on all."

(R.L. Dabney, Systematic Theology p.774)

Testing the Youth

I've been the Youth Director of our church since early August.

When I was first hired, I told the youth that they would be tested on their knowledge at some point. From the reaction I got from the group, the idea of being tested on what's taught during the youth meetings must be a radical idea!

Since this is the start of a new year and I have been working with them for a few months, I decided now would be a good time to administer the test. So during the past couple of weeks I've been trying to catch up to everyone to test them.

I have wanted to do this so I can see what they know -and what they don't. I am using a simple test I found on CARM.org. (My 8 year old son aced it on his first try!) Maybe I'm a lunatic, but if they are being tested on what they learn in school, why not test them on what they're supposed to be learning at church? I figure it can't hurt!

The majority of my group is made up of younger teens, most have just recently moved up from AWANA and are currently in middle school. Once I finally get everyone tested, I am going to give back their graded tests and we will be going over them in class. Overall they have done fairly well, but I have noticed there's a few questions which most of them are marking wrong, so I definitely want to address those questions in detail.

One question that several have been getting wrong is about evolution: many have marked "God used evolution to bring man into existence"! (For that I'd like to thank the public education system!) Not to worry, we'll be killing that myth very soon!

They don't know it yet, but there will probably be many more tests to come. I want to see how well they are paying attention and how well I am conveying the information to them.

Paul Washer: Youth Conference Sermon

Probably the greatest sermon ever preached at any youth event anywhere in the Southern Baptist Convention, and it's said he wasn't invited back! Oh how far the SBC has fallen!!



(H.T. Gordan)

Drive Through Church!

(H.T. Way of the Master Radio)