I don’t write too many blog posts that are negative in tone, but I’m not afraid to sound out a warning against something dangerous or offensive to the glory of God. The prosperity gospel is just that – it’s dangerous and it’s offensive to the Author of redemption. Al Mohler describes it more eloquently that I, but we feel the same.
I’m deeply concerned. Jesus made a bold statement once about the influence of believers when He said, “If the salt loses its savor, it is good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled under the foot of men.” I’ve just finished reading an article by Al Mohler that gives an articulate voice to a rising concern within Christianity – are we losing our savor?
For the record, I’m not a Calvinist. For the record, I’m not threatened by Calvinism and some of my greatest heroes are/were Calvinists (W. A. Criswell, Charles Spurgeon, George Whitefield). And for the record, I’m definitely not an Arminianist either.
If you haven’t heard, Time Magazine has declared “New Calvinism” to be third on it’s list of 10 world-changing movements. (Mark Driscoll explains the differences between old and new Calvinism. I like Mark Driscoll, John Piper, and Al Mohler, all of whom the article names as leading voices among modern Calvinists who definitely have a heavy influence in modern evangelical thinking.
I don’t want to use this post (or the comments) to debate the theological issue of Calvinism itself. Rather I wanted to offer some of my own personal reflections on this movement in the form of what I appreciate about it and what annoys me. Feel free to disagree. I’ve already said I will love you anyway.
I’ve been experiencing a whirlwind of emotions in the last twenty-four hours. Even before Karl Rove said it around lunchtime, it was obvious who our next President would be. I listened to the speeches of both McCain and Obama, then went to bed. I went right to sleep. Why? Well, I was tired! And, I know Who is ultimately in charge.
This morning I have struggled to articulate my own feelings about the situation, which is why I want to encourage you to read Al Mohler’s post from today. Mohler is a master wordsmith and I could never say it quite the way He did, so read…
Brandon is first and foremost a follower of Jesus Christ. He's a husband to Angie and a Dad to Ella Grace and Samuel David. He's a Pastor to Bethel Baptist Church, Editor of Fuel Your Blogging and also a logo and web designer.
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