I thoroughly enjoyed hanging out with fellow brethren (and sisteren too!) yesterday at the annual meeting of the BMA of the Ozarks. I preached in the morning and the people responded very warmly to the message. I also got to see a couple of friends that are outside this area. I think people in ministry need these kinds of opportunities to get together to talk, share, and fellowship. I do have a suggestion, however, for all who will listen…

WAIT! There is more to read… read on »

I’ve just gotten back to my room after the final session of the 59th annual meeting of the BMA of America. I expressed my concerns in my last post, and I do think there are plenty of weaknesses to be addressed. But I really want to focus on the positives. I really am excited to be a part of this association of Baptists. Why? Let me share some of what God is doing around the world through the BMA… WAIT! There is more to read… read on »

I’m writing this article in Waco, Texas where I’m attending the annual meeting of the Baptist Missionary Association of America. This is a Baptist association that has taken many stands for the Scriptures and the gospel, and I’m proud to be a part of it. The BMA has invested much into my life and ministry, for which I’m eternally grateful. But I also feel that it’s an association in crisis. WAIT! There is more to read… read on »

In this decade, conservative Christianity has lost some great giants of the faith. I was reflecting on the passing of Jack Hyles, long time Pastor of First Baptist Church in Hammond, Indiana. He was an interesting character with a unique leadership style. Far too many young Pastors went to their ministerial deaths trying to imitate his every move. Nonetheless, his impact on the independent Baptist movement and on the kingdom of God in general are immeasurable.

Then I think of W. A. Criswell. He pastored one of the most influential churches in the world, First Baptist Church in Dallas. He once spent almost eighteen years preaching through the entire Bible. His defense of the faith, his exposition of the Scriptures, and his charismatic style made a lasting mark on Baptist life and thought.

Another giant among men who has passed away this decade was Adrian Rogers, Pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, often called the flagship church of the Southern Baptist Convention. Like Criswell, Rogers’ impact upon the nation’s largest non-Catholic denomination was immense, serving as president of the Southern Baptist Convention three terms. His preaching was practical and poignant, but his wisdom in leadership was what elevated him above the average preacher.

On Sunday, May 6, two other leaders were taken on to heaven. Dr. Lee Roberson, Pastor of the Highland Park Baptist Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee and founder of Tennessee Temple University, went home to be with the Lord. Within an hour of his passing, Dr. Viola Walden also slipped into her eternal home. She had been personal secretary to Dr. John R. Rice since he began The Sword of the Lord. At age 91, she was at her desk at work on the Friday before she died.

God’s timing, sovereignty, and wisdom are all unquestionable attributes. I know that His intention was to take them home, to give them a final rest with the saints. But from our perspective, they seem like missing links in modern Christianity. My great question would be, who will replace them? Who will be the anchors of the church in the next half century? Have we reached the end of an era of Christianity that will never be revived again?

Some would say that the face of Christianity must change. I’ve listened to far too many upstarts criticize the elder leaders among us as “behind the times.” I have a different perspective. Though we’re moving swiftly through the information age with little clue what lies next, we can still rely on twenty centuries of a very faithful pattern. Namely, God has always raised up men who have challenged their generation to think biblically.

Consider Paul, Peter, and Polycarp who faced Rome without trepidation. Think of Athanasius, who stood virtually alone to combat Arianism. Dwell upon the reformers who, with all of their shortcomings theologically, stood against the established church leadership of their times to call Christianity back to sincere and emboldened faithfulness to God’s Word. And think of the evangelistic-missionary age with the Spurgeon’s, Torrey’s, and Moody’s.

Until Jesus comes again, He’ll be building His church out of the stock of saved humanity. He’ll be calling forth leaders to stand in the gap for the land. And they will respond, for Jesus promised it would be so. With all the “missing links” the real question that remains for us is, are we willing to continue the tradition? Will we be surrendered to a life of holiness and passionate, Spirit-filled zeal? To say that the survival of God’s kingdom depends in any way on our abilities would be negligent of the self-sufficiency of God. But to recognize that the future of God’s Kingdom depends upon our availability simply serves to remind us that God has chosen to use people in the redemption of this lost and sinful planet. Will you stand in the gap?

This past Sunday, I began preaching a revival meeting for Beacon Baptist Church in Gravette, Arkansas. It’s been a real privilege and honor to do so, especially considering that the church’s Pastor has been such a great leader within our association. Bro. Dan Fagala has remained at the same church for over thirty-five years and has served in a multitude of denominational capacities. On Monday, he and I went out on Beaver Lake in his boat to fish for crappies, to no avail. We (I mean he) caught four keepers. I managed to snag one little perch which finned me fairly well before I could throw him back.On Sunday, the most spectacular thing happened. When we arrived home from the revival service Sunday afternoon and opened our garage door, our Chevy Impala had mysteriously turned sideways!

Can you feel the love?… It took me about ten minutes to remove the car from the garage, but I wonder how long it took the prankster to park it to begin with. There are three major lessons I see in this situation…

1. Thank God for fun friends. Quite honestly, this was one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen.

2. Life gets a little sideways sometimes for unexplainable reasons. We find ourselves in situations where we are perplexed. Thankfully because of the assurance we have in Christ, we know everything really will work out in the end “for them that love God and are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

3. Never leave your keys with a crazed graphic artist who is about to be ordained as a Deacon… Okay, that’s not much of a lesson, but thank God for security systems anyway!

I must confess, as a Baptist, it took me a rather long time to come to understand the healing nature of God. We Baptists, as Adrian Rogers put it, “believe in miracles, but trust in Jesus.” I still believe this is best. But I also freely admit that in our reaction to the extremism of “healing evangelists” like Binny Hinn and other obvious hucksters and false prophets, that we have a tendency to write off all supposed healings as a mere charade.

Scripture, however, clearly teaches that the Great Physician, through His miraculous touch, heals the bodies of many people. Such was the case for the entire camp of Israelites in the wilderness when they reached the bitter waters of Marah. I’m inclined to believe that these poisonous waters made many of the people quite ill. So God steps into the picture, sweetens the waters, and heals the people. So He reveals to them another title for Himself - Jehovah who heals you.

Fast-forward about fifteen hundred years to Matthew, chapter fifteen. A Gentile woman comes to Jesus and His disciples, begging for a demon to be cast out of her daughter. I am especially moved by her form of worship. First, the text declares that she “cried out to Him, saying, ‘Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is demon-possessed.’” Amazingly, “He answered her not a word.” She chases God and He delights in the pursuit. She was apparently persistent for the disciples asked Jesus to dismiss her, saying, “for she cries out after us.”

Jesus continues to stonewall her by explaining that He was sent with Israel as His first priority, so why should He perform miracles for a Gentile woman? His remaining just beyond her reach is really an attempt to lead her on in her pursuit of the Almighty, and of course it works. “Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, ‘Lord, help me!’”

Instead of responding to her cry, Jesus argues that He really shouldn’t be casting such great miracles before the dogs of the Gentiles. She wisely continues her pursuit, presenting a responding argument that as a dog, she’ll gladly take the crumbs that fall to her. What a great lesson she teaches us. Our worship must always have a heartfelt ring of “Whatever, whenever, however God, just bless me!” to it. So He gives in and heals her, thrilled at her great and faith-filled pursuit. Oh, for such demanding hunger that argues with God for His blessings!

In the next paragraph, Matthew records for us that multitudes came to Him and were healed, “so the multitude marveled when they say the mute speaking, the maimed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel.”

Jesus is the Great Physician, the mighty Healer of the children of men. I find it sad how we overlook the miraculous nature of God. We like to bring Him down to our level. “Well, you know I just think that in modern times, He heals through modern medicine…” Yes, He invented all of it and yes, He uses it, but let us never forget to look for the miraculous and to ask, to beg, to plead for His blessing.

I had a conversation a couple of years ago with a good friend who used to sit under my preaching every week, but who had moved to another town, gotten married, and attended a church of a different denomination. He related to me the story of a funeral that he attended. As he watched the mourners pass the casket to pay their last respects, his heart cried out within him, “Why did nobody ask God even once to heal her?”

Our answer, as good traditional Baptists, might be, “Well, it was just her time, it just wasn’t God’s will to heal her.” Though my friend and I may not agree on all things, I support his question. Why do we no think to ask, to beg, to plead with a worshipful heart to the Almighty Healer to perform miracles. I don’t believe He will always heal, for people do get sick and die, but shouldn’t we at least ask Him?

The theological argument that has arisen from this issue relates to the atonement, and whether or not physical healing for all of God’s people was purchased at the cross or not. I think it’s a moot point either way. The cross proves He heals in the ultimate way, spiritually and eternally. Healing didn’t necessarily have to be purchased, in the sense of a financial transaction, by His atoning death. He was already able to heal, but His atoning death was the ultimate picture of the great work of an Almighty Physician to heal the diseases of the spirit, the soul, and the body.

I think we have naturalized God and have forgotten that He’s a God of tremendous power, who is overwhelmed with compassion, and who desires to give unspeakable peace and joy to His children. He is just as alive and well today as He was in the days of Moses and Jesus. As the old song puts it, “He is able to deliver thee!” So ask, pray, beg, be an intercessor, anoint with oil, believe that He will work miracles, but ultimately trust His decisions no matter what.

I just finished reading Jim Cymbala’s book Fresh Power and it has again revived my thirst for God. One of the most impactful insights from the book is the revelation that if we can explain the success of our churches in terms of programs, personalities, or well-oiled machinery without the power of the Holy Spirit, then we’ve missed the point. Cymbala appeals to A. W. Tozer who proclaimed that if the Holy Spirit were removed from our midst today, most of our largest and most rapidly growing churches would continue as they are because their growth is attributable not to the powerful working of the Holy Spirit, but to a marketing structure, business plan, and organizational genius that is very humanly originated.

We do need to operate in the “fresh power” freely available from the Holy Spirit, God’s operative agent in the world today. We do need to continue the writing of the Acts of the Holy Spirit in our modern world. For the Brooklyn Tabernacle, which Cymala pastors, the secret of this abiding power and presence of God is not merely to be found in a great choir, great preaching, or great buildings. It is found in their Tuesday night prayer meeting which serves as the fuel source for all else that happens.

I believe my favorite chapter is the second, entitled Of Cemeteries and Insane Asylums. Pastor Cymbala writes about the two extremes of today’s Christianity. The insane asylums represent the excesses of the charismatic movement. It describes the counterfeit revivals, the get-rich-quick Christianity, the mass-miracle-crusades without discernment or validation. This is Christianity that has zeal but little truth. The cemeteries are those circles of modern Christianity much like my own denomination, which have so reacted against the charismatic movement that we’ve become boxes of bones with no life. We have our truth, and like Charlton Heston and his rifle, the world can peel it from our cold, dead hands. Shame on us!

What an atrocity that we are so closed to the potential activity of the Spirit of God that we completely deny the possibility that God would want to invade our space, enliven our worship, and move us to a new level of power-filled witness. How we desperately need a fresh infilling of His presence. As we seek a proper biblical balance in all things, let us seek the fullness of power of the Holy Spirit, and let us seek to defend the truth in a pluralistic age. God, may You enliven today’s church by Your mighty Holy Spirit, and may this work begin in me!

I grew up in a staunchly conservative Southern Baptist church, where I first heard the gospel and received Christ as my Savior. I was baptized by Doug Riley, a man who was committed to the faithful proclamation of God’s inerrant Word. Many of my heroes in the faith are or were Southern Baptist leaders.

I have benefitted greatly from W. A. Criswell’s heart for the preaching of the Word of God in its perfect entirety. I’ve been inspired to be a more wise and well-equipped leader by Dr. Adrian Rogers. The scholarly works of A. T. Robertson and John Broadus have taught me much about preaching and about the message of the New Testament. I’m thankful also for many of today’s leading Southern Baptists who are holding a firm line on having a strong commitment to an orthodox belief in the Scriptures as God’s inerrant self-revelation.

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I know in advance that what I write today will not be popular, but the trumpet must be sounded to a renewed stance of separation from error. A few years ago I attended a Promise Keepers conference for the first time. My Baptist brethren had debated whether or not PK was over the edge on their ecumenical philosophy so I reluctantly went, expecting an ear full of talk about breaking down denominational walls. My first year at PK went surprisingly well and the messages seemed well balanced. Over the next year, I learned more about the doctrinal identity of the speakers and decided to give it another try. My second experience at a PK conference would be my last.

The first three messages called men to be godly leaders - a message I wholeheartedly endorse. The last three messages were calls to break down the doctrinal barriers that divide us. The conference closed with an invitation to all Pastors present to come to the altar, hug each other, and apologize for wanting “our denomination” to be the one to bring revival in America. How pompous, how arrogant of us to desire that a truth-teaching body of believers usher in a new wave of the Holy Spirit’s empowerment.

This call to abandon doctrinal rigidness seems to be the spirit of Christianity in our age. Consider this excerpt from a recent daily devotional by Michael Craven…

Don’t misunderstand me, I think doctrine is profoundly important but I pray that
I do not violate the unity of the Body by being more committed to my own
doctrinal convictions than I am to the fellowship of believers and the Lordship
of Jesus Christ. Again, such a position assumes that “my” doctrinal convictions
are true absolutely. (Crosswalk.com’s “Live It” devotional, June 7, 2006)

Notice the common assumption that “the body of Christ” is this foggy, universal collection of all believers of all denominations and all doctrinal persuasions. Scripture speaks of a church that may be organized with ordinances and officers, not an invisible and universal assortment of all who call themselves Christians.

Also notice the equating of “the fellowship of believers” and “the Lordship of Christ” as being together more imporant than “my own doctrinal convictions.” Craven’s order is definitely contrary to Scripture. It is the Lordship of Jesus Christ that determines our doctrinal convictions, which in turn determines the boundaries of our fellowship with other believers.

Finally, notice Craven’s unwillingness to say that his own doctrinal convictions are true absolutely. Allow me to think critically here and assert that Christianity today is guilty of a doctrinal relativism akin to that of the postmodern culture’s philosophy concerning truth. I assume that my specific doctrinal convictions are true absolutely, such as the eternal security of the believer, the nature of the church as a local body, etc. If I felt they were not true absolutely, I would abandon them.

Mr. Craven, I’m sure, is a godly individual and I would never question his heart for Jesus. But I’m concerned with the proliferation of ecumenicalism, theological and doctrinal relativism, and the emphasis on supposed “unity” and “harmony” at the expense of the truth.

In an age of compromise and resulting apostasy, Jude declared that believers should “earnestly content for the faith which was once delievered unto the saints.” The problem with modern ecumenical Christianity is that we’ve lost our fight. The loose and liberal world in which we live doesn’t like our rigid standards, so we’ve accomodated and compromised in the name of our evangelistic witness. But if we aren’t careful, we’ll lose our saltiness, they very key to permeating the world with the gospel.

I believe in getting along, striving for unity, and strengthening the body of Christ (which is a local institution). But I believe that God’s truth demands vindication in an age of error and I’ll not apologize for standing for my own doctrinal convictions. Let’s recover the early church’s zeal for knowledge and truth, and defend our multi-faceted gospel at all costs.

When no one likes you, it’s easy to become bitter. When you’re untouchable, it’s easy to give up on life. Jesus always seemed to search out the unliked and the untouchable. When He found them, He would do more than like them, He would love them. And He would touch them! Mark commits only four verses of material to the conversation Jesus held with this particular leper (Mark 8:1-4), but the story is overwhelmingly moving. Can you just imagine it, an untouchable leper with running sores being approached by the Creator of the universe?

Isn’t that the way we feel when we’re touched by Him? Often His touches come to us through others. I can recall times when I’ve been touched in such a way that I felt the affirmation of God. Once my wife took my hand when I had received a phone call with bad news. Another time a denominational leader hugged me for no apparent reason, except to offer his encouragement. Earlier today, an entire family touched my life.

I was at the office when a knock came at my door. There was a Mom outside with her three children asking for assistance. This is a common occurrence since we are located on a main thoroughfare, just off Interstate 65. But she was different. There was in her voice a notable measure of trepidation about asking for money, but she needed to buy her children school supplies… school supplies? Yes. Paper. Pencils. And as one of the boys added shyly, “and glue and scissors.” Most of us have these items neatly tucked away in our junk drawers.

I drove to K-Mart, purchased a gift card, and quickly returned to the church to find them waiting on the front sidewalk. I handed her the card and began to say the usual “thanks for stopping by” when she caught me by surprise. She hugged me. Then each of her three children hugged me as well. I cannot adequately describe the feeling that followed. In the past seven years, I’ve dealt with hundreds of people asking for assistance. I’ve become quite skilled at saying “no” gracefully when I am skeptical of their stories. I’ve learned to swallow the disappointment of not being able to help them all. It’s simply a part of my weekly routine. Hugs from strangers are not routine, however.

It caused me to think. First I thought of the fact that in seven years, having dealt with so many people whom we’ve helped in some way, I can only recall about three who offered such a priceless sign of gratitude. I then wondered how many times I’ve received, without giving in return. How many chances have I missed to bless another with a hug, a pat on the back, even a smiling word of affirmation. I also thought of how little affection I’ve shown for Jesus in comparison with all that He’s given to me. Ultimately, however, I was simply overwhelmed. In that second and a half, Jesus ministered to me through a stranger.

Jesus’ touch affirms that even though we have nothing to offer such a great God, He sees us as priceless. His touch conveys real, personal affection for each of us. It demonstrates that Jesus was never so concerned with His own dignity that He would not condescend to our level, to love us where we are. He picks us up from the dust and rubble of our broken lives and He cleans us off. He washes our feet. He hugs us!

I can definitely identify with Bill Gaither who wrote, “He touched me, oh, He touched me! And oh the joy that floods my soul. Something happened and now I know, He touched me and made me whole!” Have you felt His touch in your life? The secret is in the approach. To the proud, arrogant, legalistic Pharisee, He turns with a rebuke. But to the leper, bowed in humble contrition, He offers His hand!