Mohler for SBC president

It's been reported that a Texas pastor plans to nominate Dr. Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, for president of the Southern Baptist Convention. Personally I've wondered when someone would nominate Dr. Mohler for the position, and this is welcome news, as I'm sure it is for many within the denomination. I've had the pleasure of hearing Dr. Mohler preach and have followed his blog and commentaries for some time. He speaks very articulately to the culture of our day, and is just as articulate and able a theologian. He is well-respected across theological and denominational lines, and would serve well as a Southern Baptist statesman. Dr. Mohler's commitment to Biblical orthodoxy and the spread of the gospel is well-known in Southern Baptist circles and beyond. Whether he will accept the nomination is yet to be known, but to this point I have no knowledge of a public statement saying he intends to decline if nominated. Keep the SBC and Dr. Mohler in prayer. These are critical times for the SBC and evangelicalism at large. You can read the article about the nomination here.

The KJV controversy...which version is "right"?

I've never quite understood the hoopla over the KJV of the bible. Or at least why so many insist that it is the only translation which should be taken as God's word. Let me be clear that I have nothing against the KJV. I think it's a good translation...I just don't think it's the only good translation. Granted, there are many out there that play pretty fast and loose with the original manuscripts, but I would venture that on the whole, the major translations currently available are reliable. At least in the sense that they do not change the message. The question for me is...can any English translation be 100% accurate according to the Hebrew and Greek manuscripts? It seems to me, considering the precise nature of the Greek language, and the fact that in the English language many words can have the same meaning, and one word can have different meanings, that translating Greek into English without losing some precision would be a daunting task to say the least. Add to that the fact that the English language itself is currently undergoing a major upheaval and it only adds to the difficulty. I don't like every new version that hits the bookshelves, but I personally own copies of the KJV, NASB, NIV, and ESV. I've found it helpful to compare passages side by side, and make use of easy to use tools such as Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament words. At the end of the day, I think the problem isn't so much which translation is used as much as it is how God's word is handled by those who proclaim it. In many pulpits today, the Bible is rarely even opened...or if it is, it's to prop up the preacher's own presuppositions on whatever topic or theme he may be speaking to. Real expository preaching, and verse by verse exposition sadly has become the rarity and not the norm. Feel free to chime in with your own thoughts.

Back from hiatus

It's been some time since my last post. Much has been going on with a daughter about to graduate high school, and my own blessed news of finally being accepted into nursing school. I'd like to post one last writing by my friend Jake before moving on to new topics. This is a sermon outline he sent me shortly before he went to be with the LORD. I hope you'll be as blessed by it as I was.

Sinners coming, Christ receiving

Luke 5:2 ¶ And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.13 And he put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him.14 And he charged him to tell no man: but go, and shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing, according as Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

THE SINNER
a. Let us not discount even the smallest words that were inspired by the Spirit for GOD’s men to put to paper: Thought #1:
‘Behold’ or ‘Lo’, which is to say with some wonderment, question, or emphasis- “LOOK”! Here is one who approaches the Master...in his condition what audacity he has! What stupefied condition has mustered up such courage in such a wretch? Could courage even be found in a diseased outcast such as he, so much as to come near one as our blessed Jesus? Doesn't he know his rightful place in our society, being so willing to come into our presence, much less the presence of the Christ?

Thought #2:(which I believe is the more unlikely as far as their mind-set) ‘Behold’ or ‘Lo’... “LOOK”! What an odd thing for one such as him to be wondering around...how unlikely a thing is this to occur, for the unclean to come into the presence of so many of us who are clean.
~point to consider: the fact that this man did approach the LORD is his woeful condition was noticed with some wonderment and question by his disciples! It is an indictment to modern religion that sinners ‘coming’ to Christ has been made to be such a mundane and common sight, so much so, it doesn't raise the eyebrow in the slightest of any...it is just is what it expected at the ‘end’ of a service.

b. Now consider this: this man was full of leprosy- which is to say that it was full blown, or that he was covered, and rarely, if ever, a person such as this would not be seen in public, much less approaching someone, especially Christ. This leaves much to question as to the authenticity of today’s seekers, who come in flocks and droves ‘to Christ’, not despising or hating their sin, not ‘desperately’, but only because they’ve been told all they have to do is come; they come flippantly and light hearted, with no fear of GOD or loathing of self, only ready to raise their hand, cry a few tears, say the prayer and sign the card; may GOD have mercy on those who come (and those who tell them to) , not to Him, but to their idea of what religion demands. They are not the in the slightest aware that they are covered with putrid sores from the crowns of their heads to soles of their feet. Spiritual leprosy (sin) is often the least of their concerns and even worse it is not the greatest concern of those who ‘want’ to have charge over their souls.
~point to consider: it is a completely unnatural thing for a despicable sinner to at once despise himself and throw himself at the feet and mercy of a Holy GOD

But back to our subject (the leper) at hand: this is the power and grace of our LORD: that He would cause such a change in the will and soul of a person that they would do that which is unnatural (see next point); I am not awe struck when the false prophets(Graham and Hinn come to mind) of our day get thousands to bow at a man made altar; but I am thrown in the dirt when the LORD saves a distressed soul that has had sleepless nights and miserable days, wondering if they would ever find relief over their hopeless and helpless sinful condition.

HIS POSITION
c. Now consider his disposition, his peculiar approach, and his attitude
Dear reader or listener, I say he was NOT hopeless!, But, but an act of GOD almighty had already been wrought in his soul not seen by human eyes; But with that said, he only had one hope; he did not come with a contingency plan, his approach was not rehearsed, coerced, scripted, prompted, or choreographed; he did not come with a pedigree or a claim to something, as the Pharisees thought they had; he did not come with offers of service as some had or other schemes of bartering; he came filthy, wretched, despised and lowly esteemed; the only way a sinner truly comes to Christ! The only way he can come to Christ! The only way he is permitted to come to Christ! The only way ordained of GOD to come to Christ! Do you not believe the scriptures that a man can only come to Christ as the Father draws him? Do you not believe that when the Shepherd calls to His sheep they hear His voice and follow Him? Do you not believe that all that the Father has given to the Son will come to Him, and when they come, that He will not cast them aside? Do you not think that this Lamb slain before the foundation of the world could not recognize one of His sheep, though he be covered in putrid sores and spots.

He did not think it strange to beseech the mercy of God and approach him forthrightly and with boldness, and we should not think it strange when a sinner rightly comes to Christ, for the psalmist rightly states that his people will be made willing in the day of his power; notice he does not address him as others, hoping to appeal to him with flattery; there is no good master, or good teacher, or Rabbi, or any other title; only that which rises up in his heart; he does not have to be told how or when to come to Christ, nor does any have to tell him what to say, and remind that he needs to mean what he says. He calls Him LORD, because He is the LORD of his heart at that moment.

His humility is not feigned, but real, as it is with those who are shown their sin(not simply by man, but by GOD they Holy Ghost and the Word); he does not come as the rich young ruler, who hoped that Christ might confirm his righteous opinion of himself; he does not come as others who would follow, but only after they take care of other worldly affairs; he does not come as those who had been fed loaves and fishes, following after Christ hoping to have their bellies filled again; but his humility is that of one whose soul has been wounded deep, whose pride has been slain, and whose self worth has been laid in the dust; he is as Mary, who can only weep at the savior’s feet, he is as the prodigal, who can only from afar sense the deep unworthiness to even be called a son; he is as the publican, who can only smite his chest and plead for the lord to have mercy on this sinner

THE SAVIOR
d. Now consider this; when he had come this far, he still could only place himself with the goodwill of Christ, though he approaches boldly. He makes no demands, but seeks mercy; he does not presume upon his goodness, but waits upon the mercy of Christ. Those ministers or any others who tell any that GOD is obliged to do anything based on something they've said or done are liars and the truth is not in them.
Whether ignorant(of it) or not, faith had come to his heart, as far as to believe that Christ could do something that was reserved for the high priest of GOD; if not ignorant, then he comes regarding Christ as high priest

Lev. 13:2 This shall be the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing: He shall be brought unto the priest:
3 And the priest shall go forth out of the camp; and the priest shall look, and, behold, if the plague of leprosy be healed in the leper;4 Then shall the priest command to take for him that is to be cleansed two birds alive and clean, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop:5 And the priest shall command that one of the birds be killed in an earthen vessel over running water:6 As for the living bird, he shall take it, and the cedar wood, and the scarlet, and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water:
7 And he shall sprinkle upon him that is to be cleansed from the leprosy seven times, and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the living bird loose into the open field.
19 And the priest shall offer the sin offering, and make an atonement for him that is to be cleansed from his uncleanness; and afterward he shall kill the burnt offering:20 And the priest shall offer the burnt offering and the meat offering upon the altar: and the priest shall make an atonement for him, and he shall be clean.

So he came believing that Christ could do something that he could not; as the centurion, knowing that Christ only had to say the word: and this is what he finds
-what all sinnersfind who come to Christ in such a manner...the manner that God both ordains, appoints, and accepts
-he finds the attention of the savior-Christ considers it not a burden to receive his sheep, but views his sheep with love and compassion
-he finds affectionate condescension- as the lord of glory reaches out to a fallen sparrow
-he find a store of compassion- for Christ loves his people, not just as a abstract fact, but in his goodness shown unto them; he makes no offer to sinners to do what they cant, but he does for his own what cannot and could never do; his inward cleansing is as full as his outward and more so, for his flesh will die

THE SAVIOR’S COMMAND
e. Consider what Christ tells him
He tells him not to go and publish (though in other cases he would for this would draw much attention to himself) except to the priests to prove that he had broken no Mosaic law , Christ came to do the will of the father and glorify the father; to have people praise him as a circuit healer or spiritual physician would dishonor him and his father; they (others) could not see who He was, and Christ would not have them worship a false image of God. Christ also did not consider it a great thing that his fame should published; instead of these things, He says go and glorify God and testify to sinners that
- I have been cleansed by the mercy of God
- I have been cleansed completely by God
- I have been cleansed immediately by God
- I have been cleansed in a manner according to the law Moses
- God high priest, our Messiah has cleansed me

-now consider this
-the mercy in God drawing us to his son, and the power of God in doing it
-the faith he gives us toward his son; where there was only unbelief and blindness
-the praise that is due to his son
-the sovereignty of God in saving you

final point to ponder: good food for thought; in the leper going to the priests testifying to the fact that leprosy had been healed by Christ, which they could not do, don't you think the high priest was put on notice

YOU'RE FIRED!!