The Joshua Convergence

I am sitting here in my recliner at home after having returned from the Joshua Convergence. It was a spirit filled conference and personal experience. I had been told about the meeting of pastor's who wanted to speak for themselves rather than to have a small minority of people to misrepresent the vast majority of "young southern baptist" preachers. My good friend Jeremy Green, a church planter in Waco, TX. invited me to come be apart of what was going to happen. Before the meeting even began on Monday night, we were already being labeled a "political" movement strategizing against our "enemy" within the SBC. This could not be further from the truth. Those persons who gathered at Aloma Baptist Church gathered for a time of worship on Monday night as well as a "Round Table" discussion on Tuesday morning.

We spent time praying for our convention. We discussed the past, present and future direction of the SBC. We thank God for the leaders of the Conservative Resurgence and the stand that they took concerning the Word of God. We have a strong desire to honor the Lord Jesus Christ in the way in which we conduct ourselves in the present so that in the future God will be honored in our SBC just as I believe He was in the past.

You see, our concern as those who signed the "Principles of Affirmation" is not political in nature, although we know that there will be political ramifications, but our motivation is theological. We stand on the inerrant, infallible Word of God. We believe that the "Battle for the Bible" is not over. The Word of God had been under attack since the Garden of Eden and will not cease to be under attack until Jesus comes again. We made it very clear that the enemy we are fighting is not physical in nature but spiritual (Eph. 6). Some in the blog world will disagree with this statement but it doesn't change the fact of the matter. We as the Joshua Convergence do not have a political agenda. We are willing to serve if needed, but all agree that God has given us an awesome responsibility in the areas of ministry in which He has already placed us. Our primary responsibility is to serve as the Lord gives us opportunity. Pray for us, that we will never lose sight of the calling God has placed on our lives.

One last comment concerning the Joshua Convergence, it is not an "insider thing." We welcome any person who can gather with us under the banner of the cross, standing on the Word of God, affirming those principles listed at www.joshuaconvergence.com. Our agenda is all about position, and the position we affirm is servanthood. www.alomachurch.org/joshua.wma is the site where you can watch the Monday evening service.

Serving Him,
Mike

Dr. Eitel's Second White Paper

I read Dr. Eitel's second white paper late last night on Dr. Brad Reynold's blog. You can find my comments and both of Dr. Eitel's white papers on Brad's blog. I would encourage anyone intersted to log on to it and read them both. These are the documents that some disgruntled Southern Baptist are using as a launching point to attack what has happened in the SBC concerning the conservative resurgence and those leaders which initiatied and led the movement of "Back to the Bible" (my definition). www.guardian-ministries.blogspot.com. I pray you find these papers informative and useful. God bless you.

Serving Him,
Mike

I decided to place what I wrote in the comment section of Dr. Brad Reynolds blog in this post. I pray that God will use it to help us as Southern Baptist readjust our focus to where it ought to be.

I am glad to have had the opportunity to read Dr. Eitel's two white papers. I have only been aware of these issues within the SBC since March. I am overwhelmed at the attacks that are being made. It is so very ungodly and anti-Christ. As I finished reading the second paper my thoughts were drawn to the Matthew 28:18-20. This passage of Scripture is known by Christendom as the Great Commission. It is the marching orders from Christ to his disciples (it was given before the church was formed, therefore it is a commission given to every individual christian). There is one central idea in the Great Commission, and that is to make disciples-followers of Christ. This process of discipleship includes but is not limited to evangelism. Jesus said, "Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you..." This command is not only for the US pastor, seminary professor, Sunday School teacher, but it is for the IMB appointed missionairy as well. I know that it is of utmost importance that all IMB missionairies have indepth theological training. With this training they will have the background to know what the BF&M 2000 is actual saying, and be able to discern heresy when they encounter it on the field. It is imperative that we as Southern Baptist keep a clear and undistracted focus on what God has called us to do, both individually and corprately.

Perspective is Everything

I have been hearing for several weeks now about how Dr. Patterson and Dr. Eitel have been manipulating the IMB and the SBC through these "white" papers. I read for the first time Dr. Patterson's cover letter and Dr. Eitel's first "white"paper concerning the IMB. It is amazing at the difference between what some have been implying was argued and what actually was stated in the both of the aformentioned documents. I was reminded of what I have learned many times over during my experience in the ministry, in marriage and in life in general, the perspectice of a person is that person's reality. The way a person looks at any given situation or circumstance is vital in what that person sees. This is extremely obvious in the current situation with those blogging about the SBC and IMB. I have also learned that in between two sides is the truth. I have been pondering the lense through which the participants of the debate are looking, the filter through which they process the information and reach their own "logical" conclusion. It is very obvious that what they see or perceive they hold dearly to; they defend it with a voraciousness that is extraordinary. But what is the truth? I believe, as I attempt to look through the filter/lense of Scripture, that the truth is that God placed men such as Adrian Rogers, Jerry Vines, Judge Paul Pressler, Paige Patterson, and others in leadership in "such a time as this" because they were and are men who led and are leading God's people in the way He wanted and wants us as Southern Baptist to go. They took steps to turn the tide of the SBC based on a holy perspective of the Word of God. I believe they took the action they did based on verses such as Proverbs 29:18. This verse says "Where there is no vision/revelation, the people perish..." I would encourage you to take a few moments to study the types of vision that are inferred in the passage and also study the types of death/perishing that takes place with a lack of vision on the part of God's people. I believe that if it were not for men like those mentioned earlier that there would no longer be a Southern Baptist Convention, or at least not one that I would choose to be apart of. I am proud today to be known as a Southern Baptist preacher, I am proud today to be the pastor of a Southern Baptist Church, but I can say that I am what I am because of the stance that these great men have led us in concerning the inerrant, infallible Word of God. WE must be careful not to lose the perspective/vision. It is first and foremost theological then missional. If we do not have the correct theology, how can we DO mission in the way God has dictated in the Great Commission. The verses that comprise the Great Commission are the only marching orders Christ gave to you and me. I pray that your perspective allows you to SEE clearly so that others may SEE Jesus in you in everything you do, say, and type. They are watching, but what are they seeing?

With a Vexed Heart

I am extremely concerned about all that is going on within the SBC. I think that we have all been drawn into a fight that is, from the vantage point of heaven, eternally useless. I wonder what Christ thinks of the fighting and discent that is taking place. As I sat in my office today, having had to come back from vacation early because of a death in my church, I was reminded of the words of Paul in Ephesians 6. I was reading the blog of Wade Burleson, Ben Cole and others, and my heart was broken because we have all failed to see the big picture. God wants our total vision outwardly, while we seem to have it focused continually inwardly. There seems to be great concern over the IMB and the Conservative Resurgence and all that has taken place in the SBC in the last 30 years. And so our focus seems to be directed on a "fleshly enemy" yet Ephesians 6 tells me that my enemy is not flesh and bone but spiritual in nature. Our enemy is very smart and crafty by nature; he did convince one-third of the angels in heaven to follow him rather than God. He continually seeks to drive us to settle for Satan's substitute rather than the Savior's strategy (Herb Hodges). I am not arguing that these issues do not need to be addressed; I am saying that using a means by which all the world may see is not very wise and most definitely not honoring to our Lord and Savior. Most who are blogging about these devisive issues within the SBC are airing dirty laundry that the lost world is using to reject the faith that we are so adimate about defending, yet are we damaging our witness in this manner. I believe that God has given us a means of spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ around the world by means of the internet and yet we seem more intent on damaging His name instead. Let me state once again that I believe we need to debate these issues and determine what the Word of God says, keeping in mind that Peter said in II Peter 1:20-21. God's Word says what it says, not what you and I think it says. It is the responsibility of the exegete to determine through study what God says, it is not about what he thinks. God also tells us to respect our elders and learn from them, yet there are some in our convention who seem intent on tearing down those whom God has used, in spite of faults and sins, to accomplish great things for the Kindgom. The last time I checked we have all fallen short of God's glorious standard (Rom. 3:23, NLT). Jesus told me to remove the plank from my eye before I worry about the speck in the eye of my brother (Matt. 7:1-5) I pray that we will all prayerfully consider how we portray ourselves and more importantly the Lord Jesus Christ. We are his ambassador's, His representatives. He has left us here to re-present Him to a lost and dying world.

I want to encourage those who might stumble on this blog to know that Jesus loves you no matter who you are or what you have done. You are worth more than anything to God. Your value is determined by the price that was paid for you. The price that was paid for you was the life of Jesus Christ, God the Son. He took your place and stood judged before God so that you would not have to be judged by God for your sin. Jesus died on the cross and endured God's total wrath for the sin of every person so that you could receive a gift from the heart of God. That gift is life everlasting in heaven. The only way to receive this gift is to give your life to Jesus Christ. He said in John 14:6 that He is the only way to get to heaven. Receiving this gift is a matter of believing on Jesus Christ. If you want more information contact me. I would love to talk with you.