Riffs: 7:21:06

merton01.jpgWithout a doubt, there are no words to describe the working over Tom Merton is getting at the hands of the TR watchbloggers. Apparently, Merton is a candidate for the antiChrist and the source of all that’s wrong in evangelicalism. Pretty good for a guy who died by getting tangled up with a fan in 1968 and never entered an evangelical church or school in his life. As sordid a misrepresentation of someone in Christian history as I’ve ever seen. Just the totally inability to understand monasticism itself is stunning, much less what Merton is talking about most of the time.Continue reading “Riffs: 7:21:06”

Thinking of the Unthinkable Pastoral Response

horror.jpgI’ve never done a funeral for an infant. I did a graveside service for a 9-year old boy who, for all of those nine years, had lived only through constant medical care that made up for enormous mental and physical limitations. I remember that the sense of grief was mitigated by the sense that the family was emerging from a time of unspeakable testing. Still, it is one of the worst things any minister must do, and the smaller the infant, the more emotionally and mentally wrenching is the whole event.Continue reading “Thinking of the Unthinkable Pastoral Response”

Sinning? Saved?

sinner.jpgFrom time to time, I’ve referred to the common questions I get in my vocation as campus minister and Bible teacher here at OBI. Today I was asked another one that I realize is very common, and I’m sure many of you get this question in your ministry contexts.

You have to understand that this question is particularly pressing to my Southern Baptist friends, so I will put it as close as possible to the way they would phrase the question .

“Let’s say that someone is saved, but they have a sin they just don’t want to give up. They keep doing this, even though it’s wrong, and they won’t repent of that sin. Are they really saved?”Continue reading “Sinning? Saved?”

Riffs: 7:17:06

<img id="image571" src="https://internetmonk.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/07/riffs.jpg&quot; alt="riffs.jpg" If David Wayne keeps writing like this, I can just link my “Christian Humanism” category right to him. It’s interesting to me that He is reacting to Piper-esque language a bit, just as I did in my original posts on that topic. I think the incarnation is long overdue to be given generous consideration as the center of Christian theology. The light that shines from the incarnation illuminates God, humanity and every aspect of life. We are human only in reference to God, and the incarnation means we only understand God in reference to our humanity. Read this post and let’s hope David has more in line.Continue reading “Riffs: 7:17:06”

I See Dead People: Some Thoughts On A Challies.com Post

kids.jpgThere’s a good bit of blogosphere discussion about a post from Challies.com dealing with unregenerate children. It is a good example of why the majority of young Calvinists with children will be eventually drawn to paedobaptism. If the article itself isn’t enough to get your juices flowing, read the comments. Actually, read them anyway. Just for the “children of wrath” comment. Here’s an excerpt:Continue reading “I See Dead People: Some Thoughts On A Challies.com Post”

A Little Less Squirrelly Discernment

squirrely.jpgUPDATE: One of the watchbloggers has finally gone after Luther and the LCMS Lutherans. I can’t think of a more deserving group of people. 🙂 Thankfully, someone is courageous enough to expose Luther for the false teacher that he was.

Our story begins with the following quote from Dr. John Piper:Continue reading “A Little Less Squirrelly Discernment”

Dorothy Atherton Spencer 1922-2006

My mother passed away this morning at 2:10 a.m. I will be off blog for several days. Comments may not be moderated. Thanks for your prayers and patience.

I prayed this prayer for my mom dozens of times the last few hours:

Christian Soul, depart and go to God. Lord, receive this, your child, made in your image, purchased with the blood of Jesus Christ, baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Receive her, your own daughter, who has trusted you in life and now trusts you in death. In Jesus name, receive her into the Kingdom of Light with all the saints and angels to welcome her. Amen

Why I Believe In The Baptism of Disciples Alone: A Credobaptist Apologia

A long overdue piece, but I don’t want to be seen as a flagwaver for this controversy. Forgive any annoying tone in this piece. I’ve sat on my credobaptist beliefs through a rising tide of paedobaptism among my blog friends.

No one out there is coming to the Internet Monk to work through the issue of paedo or credo baptism. If you want the Baptist position stated by a reformation Christian, then go to the Desiring God library and read good papers like this one that detail the differences in the two positions. If you want the best reformed Baptist expositions, then listen to Al Martin, read Fred Malone , Sam Waldron, G.R. Beasley-Murray or Wayne Grudem. Professors Stander and Louw go through the early church documents and make the historical case, something I have neither the information nor the credibility to attempt.

I’ve actually been operating under a bit of a vow to not bring this subject up. The BHT is overrun with infant baptizers of every variety. The Methodists, Episcopalians, Presbyterians and, of course, the Lutherans will lay aside their differences and beat me up together. I don’t like to provoke their ire, because they are a nasty group that doesn’t know how to fight fair, and they use bad language.Continue reading “Why I Believe In The Baptism of Disciples Alone: A Credobaptist Apologia”