June 3, 2002

TEXAS BAPTIST FORUM

Baptist Calvinists
___The recent article about "Baptist-style Calvinism" (May 27) mentioned two prominent Southern Baptists who hold to the doctrines of grace, Al Mohler of Southern Seminary and Timothy George of Beeson Divinity School.

E-mail the editor at marvknox@baptiststandard.com

___The article did not mention prominent Baptists of the past who loved and preached these same doctrines--Roger Williams, Luther Rice, Adoniram Judson, Francis Wayland, Basil Manly Sr., John L. Dagg, William Carey, P.H. Mell, James P. Boyce and B.H. Carroll to name a few.
___These men were not "anti-missions" and "anti-evangelism," yet they were Calvinists. Some of them were leaders in the Southern Baptist Convention.
___J.B. Gambrell, editor of the Standard in the early years of the 20th century, wrote the following in "Baptist Principles Reset": "Great revivals have accompanied the heroic preaching of the doctrines of grace--predestination, election, and that whole lofty mountain range of doctrines upon which Jehovah sits enthroned, sovereign in grace, as in all things. God honors preaching that honors him. There is entirely too much milk-sop preaching nowadays--trying to cajole sinners to enter upon a truce with their Maker. The situation does not call for a truce, but for a surrender."
___Men with theological convictions like these Baptist leaders of the past are now in the minority.
___How far we have drifted from the doctrinal moorings laid by our SBC founding fathers!
___May God revive the truths of his sovereign grace in the midst of his people!
___ Michael Williams
___ La Marque

Shining life
___Your article on Charla Greenhaw (May 20) requires a response.
___I know Charla well, as I worked with her at the North Brazil Baptist Theological Seminary and the North Brazil Mission for many years. Charla is an exceptional woman with incredible energy, a genuine love for Brazilians, a firsthand knowledge of Brazilian customs since she was born and raised there, and creative in her approaches to evangelism.
___I don't know of any other missionary who has won more people to the Lord than Charla. The love of Christ shines from her life.
___To think that her career would be cut short due to a man-made document that missionaries are now supposed to sign is just unthinkable. Charla exemplifies the fruits of the Spirit, and her life clearly shows her commitment to the Lord she loves and has served so faithfully.
___I pray that the International Mission Board will reconsider this witch hunt. It would be a tragedy for the cause of Christ to terminate the Greenhaws.
___ Glenda Miller
___ Austin

True gem
___During this recently completed spring semester at Baylor University's Truett Theological Seminary, I had the wonderful opportunity and joyous privilege of doing some adjunctive teaching at a place I now believe to be one of the true gems of our Baptist General Convention of Texas and Southern Baptist family.
___The new facilities at Truett are so beautiful and so state-of-the-art. We as Texas Baptists should truly feel proud of our fine investment there.
___The faculty and students with whom I was able to interact consistently came across to me as being thoroughly conservative, unashamedly evangelical and genuinely committed to the best of our historical Baptist beliefs.
___Paul Powell is doing a stellar job leading the seminary. David Garland, the associate dean for academics, helped assemble a truly outstanding faculty to go along with outstanding facilities and an outstanding student body, who are given the opportunity to learn in a refreshingly open environment of academic excellence and freedom.
___The future of theological education in Texas has never been in better hands. Truett Seminary certainly deserves the generous and enthusiastic support of all our Texas Baptist churches.
___ Jim Lemons
___ Fort Worth

Include God
___The U.S. Constitution says our government should not establish an official state religion. Rob Marus and others place comments by Thomas Jefferson regarding separation of church and state alongside our Constitution (April 22).
___After much debate, the wording was approved, and our Constitution has served us well. Even though it does not contain Jefferson's words, many erroneously think it does, and this keeps many from addressing this taboo subject.
___What is sad is that Christians, by their silence and apathy, are assisting the removal of God from our public and private lives. As Marus said, we will continue to be a secular nation--a disturbing prediction. Except for a blip after 9/11, religion is having less and less effect on our nation's life. We could be truly pagan in a generation.
___I try to live my religion in all areas of life, and I object to those who have no religion or who arrive with other religions suddenly deciding my expressions of religious thoughts offend them.
___So I ask, do we want to aid those keeping God out of public life? Our founding fathers desired to prevent government's having state-directed religion. They did not want government to tax or place undue burdens on the church. They wanted neither the church of England nor the pope, but they apparently wanted no restrictions on those in government expressing and living their religion.
___I would invite God back and apologize for this exclusion. We will be a better nation if we do.
___ Russell Hairston
___ Nacogdoches

Faith cards
___While going through my junk mail and tearing up the usual unsolicited credit card application forms, I was taken aback by one offer that would permit me to "choose from six Christian faith card designs."
___I wondered what kind of a marketing mind had come up with this blatant attempt to associate God with mammon. Did they really think it would lead Christians to make more purchases on credit?
___Then I wondered if the effect might not be the opposite of what the advertisers hoped for. If I had selected the card with the fish symbol on it, might I not recall its original use by those poor believers in the Christian underground and think about how much richer in faith they were than we more-prosperous church members are today and ask myself whether this purchase was really necessary?
___Or if I had to look at the picture of a traditional church building each time I used my card, might it not remind me that maybe I should be catching up on my tithing rather than buying something else for myself?
___Or could a look at the picture of a cross lying in the sand allow contemplation of Christ's self-sacrifice to jolt me out of my self-indulgence long enough to cancel plans for the purchase of yet another luxury item?
___Maybe these cards are not such a bad idea after all.
___ James O. Morse
___ McGregor

Precious baptism
___I take offense at anyone who says my baptism is silly and based on tradition.
___God sent John the Baptist and gave him the authority to baptize those who believed in Jesus. Even Jesus went to John because John had the authority to baptize.
___Jesus' last words to his church were, "Go to all nations and baptize them ... ."
___Anabaptists died martyrs' deaths because they would not baptize infants. Please don't call my baptism silly, because it is very precious to me.
___ Glenn Claxton
___ Forney

Proud of daughter
___I was at the softball complex in Chandler one Tuesday evening, waiting on my daughter's game.
___ I saw a little girl with a white shirt. Some of the teachers at Brownsboro had allowed their kids to wear white shirts and to sign each other's shirts with permanent markers. This particular shirt had a Scripture reference on it that caught my attention.
___I saw the Scripture reference and, above it, my daughter's name: "Hannah Johnson … 1 John 1:9."
___I was so proud. My 10-year-old is witnessing for our God at school. God has done a wonderful work in my children, and he has allowed me the joy of raising them.
___Scott Johnson
___ Chandler



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