Onlime-Only Letter: Mohler and the Virgin Birth
By Al Mohler saying you must believe in the Virgin Birth to be a Christian, he's saying John 3:16 is false.
Jesus saves, but Mohler takes away? Good grief! Has "theological consequences" become his God?
Will he take salvation away if one does not believe "once saved, always saved"?
He favored the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message changing "priesthood of the believer" to "priesthood of the believers" because without the "S" it gave too much freedom to the individual.
Sounds like Mohler is still building walls to keep sin out but makes prisoners within.
Rex Ray
Bonham
Meaning of Christmas?
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What is the true meaning of Christmas?
The Jewish people looked for a Messiah like King David. They sought a powerful leader who would take down their enemies, make Jerusalem Jewish again and die a mortal death, as all humans do. The Scriptures promised them a Savior, and they anticipated his arrival.
What they got was not what they expected. Instead of a physical warrior who would defeat the Romans, they got a spiritual warrior who, instead of turning his eyes upon their enemies, turned his eyes upon their relationship to God—particularly the laws they had expanded to make life miserable and then the artful and deceitful ways they had of getting around those laws. Read Matthew 23 to see what Jesus had to say about their spiritual condition.
Jesus came to free us from the rigmarole man had bound God with. All those laws didn't mean anything, because man had found ways to get around them. Jesus told them to love God with all their heart, and to love their fellowman.
When love is the motivator, our worship of God and helping our fellowman will take on a different meaning. We will feed the hungry, help the poor, heal the sick, treat others as we want to be treated, give the Good News to everyone.
We still want to make laws, especially laws about what women can and cannot do. I wonder if Jesus would have turned his eyes upon us.
Shirley Taylor
Willis
SBC & Calvinism
I find it ironic that the Southern Baptist Convention fears the influence of Calvinism in its churches. The ironic part is that this very denomination's heritage is distinctly Calvinistic.
The 1742 Philadelphia Confession of Faith is rooted in solid biblical truth. Some may call it Calvinism; however, the greatest Baptist preacher who ever lived, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, called it the gospel.
Many parts of my denomination have been led astray by the flawed teaching of Armenianism and dispensational theology; however, it is encouraging to see truth is making a comeback—Christian by the sovereign grace of God alone, lest any man should boast.
Monte Lumpkin
Quanah
Cooperate for missions
Clayton Bond, a retired missionary in our church, tells the story of reaching an unreached tribe in West Africa. The missionaries knew of the tribe through traders and prayed for them and the opportunity to reach them. The day came when they were impressed to go and at the last minute, decided to go in the red vehicle of another missionary, who was not a Baptist.
When they arrived, they were welcomed with great excitement and enthusiasm. The whole tribe, starting with the chief, accepted Christ, and several new churches were established. Curious about the openness of the tribe, they later learned that embedded in their history was the legend that one day men would arrive in the red bug—a particular red insect in their area—and bring them good news. The red vehicle was the same color as the red bug.
I wonder if the Baptist General Convention of Texas would be willing to see, embrace and join with our friends at the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention in the vision to reach 1,000 unengaged people groups in our world with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Both state conventions support the International Mission Board, which will help us with resources and training. What a vision—the BGCT and the SBTC joining together to reach 1,000 unengaged people groups.
Imagine that! Why not?
Bubba Stahl
Kingsland
Where are women?
Interesting to open the convention issue of the Standard (Oct. 31) and see almost every article and picture were of Baptist men posing with arms held toward heaven espousing their next thought. Oh, sure, there were a couple of ads with cute women in them, and a picture of a woman doing "WMU" work, but where are our powerful, enlightened and godly women?
We do have them, don't we? Or are they serving in the background somewhere?
I am disappointed, but not surprised, by the backward posturing. Come to the light and see that what God has made is good, and you call her woman, and she has intelligence, understanding and love in her heart and can walk beside a man as God intended and preach and teach and inform just as well and sometimes better than a man.
Don't ever limit God in who he can use in his world.
Pat N. Bowlin
Amarillo
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