Think Wink.

I cannot wait until Tuesday, August 28, 2007. The brand new Star Wars: Legacy of the Force novel, titled Inferno by Troy Denning, will be released. It looks like Darth Caedus, formerly known as Jacen Solo (son of Han and Leia Solo and Luke Skywalker’s nephew) will pull a Darth Vader in this book and even tangle with his Jedi Grand Master uncle. I am stoked and cannot wait to read this novel. If you are a Star Wars fan and would like to see a better presentation of Anakin’s fall in Episode III, check out Legacy of the Force.

Force Unleashed!

Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Morning Workout: Dr. Meredith Kline

The often used Arminian view of Romans 9:1-33 is the say that Paul here is speaking of national privilege or historical task for Israel. To do this, they note that the Old Testament texts that Paul quotes in Romans 9:8-13, 17 refer to the nations of Israel (Isaac and Jacob), Ishmaelites (Ishmael), Edom (Esau), and Egypt (Pharaoh). When one goes into the Old Testament context of some of these citations that Paul uses, one can see that Paul might be suggesting that. In doing so, the application of God’s sovereign election (Romans 9:11) is applied at a national level, not to the individual as the Calvinist reads it. But the question is, does this stand up to the test of Biblical hermeneutics? Is that what Scripture is teaching?

I want to come at this issue from three points. First is the overall flow of Romans 1-11, known as the doctrinal section of Romans. Then I want to look at the more immediate context in two points. First is Romans 9:1-5 and how this influences Romans 9:6-13. Finally I will look at Romans 9:30-33 and how Paul applies the discussion of Romans 9:1-29. 1.) Look at how Romans 9 fits in Romans 1-11; 2.) The connection of Romans 9:1-5 and Romans 9:6-13; 3.) The application found in Romans 9:30-33 of the discussion of God’s Sovereignty in Romans 9:1-29.

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Peace Part 1

Behind the Scenes of the Incredible Hulk

The Scared King Who Imprisons

Piper has just finished his series on marriage, which was excellent by the way, and his vacation. The next seven weeks he will preach on how seven great sins of the Bible serve and glorify Christ. I just finished listening to the first sermon on Colossians 1:16 and wow. I really encourage everyone to check out this series. It looks to be amazing.

Thank You Dr. Piper

Carson, Keller, and Piper and the Gospel Coalition

If anyone ever thinks Piper is perfect…

Here is Wayne Grudem’s response to Piper’s comments on Grudem’s revision of his section on baptism in Systematic Theology. What I love about this isn’t just what is being communicated, but how it is being communicated. We all could learn a lesson on how to debate theology amongst ourselves and maintaining a spirit of unity.

I also have to say thanks to Piper and Grudem for writing this as I have been stuck in KC International Airport (KCI) for several hours now because of a thunderstorm in Washington D.C. that grounded the plane I am to travel to Chicago to tonight. I was hoping to have dinner tonight with my two cousin’s Grant and Henry Michael and mi hermano Quintin. But since it doesn’t look like I am leaving anytime soon…reading this dialog has helped pass the time.

Conversing with Muslims

With All His Warts

I Just Don’t Get It!

John Piper writes a very loving response to Grudem’s revision of Systematic Theology on pages 982-983 in which Grudem seems to be willing to deny membership to a paedobaptist in a credobaptist church (and I guess that if he here were a baby-baptizer the implication would be that he would not let a credobaptist join his church…I guess?). This is an interesting question: should we break fellowship or even deny fellowship to those who hold a differing view of baptism? I think that Piper is right in that I could never tell guys like Phil Ryken or R C Sproul or Ligon Duncan that they cannot join my church–which would be a credobaptist church–because they are paedobaptist. I think that I would try to pursuade them to see the error in their understanding of baptism and encourage them to be baptized to be fully obedient to Jesus. But if there is plain evidence of the paedobaptist having saving faith, he would be admitted into the fold of church membership. You should check this article out and ponder the question, is one’s understanding of baptism worth breaking fellowship over?

Fixing the BCS?

Original Sin and Infants

Grudem’s Response to Piper

I have decided to make this an ongoing series that I will come back to from time to time when I hear an objection worth answering, or I feel needs to be answered. Hence the title of this post: Objections to Calvinism Part 6 of 5, I’m just going to keep on truckin’ despite I had originally had planned only five posts. The objection I want to consider in this post is that of Irresistible Grace in TULIP. Some people call this “divine rape.” But is it really?

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Objections to Calvinism Part 1 of 5

Objections to Calvinism Part 7 of 5

My Comfort in Romans 9

Youtube.com has this Iron Man trailer for the 2008 movie. Check it out and I hope that you are as excited about it as I am. I looks like it could be the next really great movie since X2 that Marvel has put out.

Also check out this teaser for The Dark Knight, the sequel to Batman Begins.

New Iron Man Trailer

Iron Man Trailer #2

Hall of Armor Anyone?

My friend Jamie Lundy, who is getting married this weekend and I am extremely happy for him and pray that God will bless this marriage, has always wanted me to read Spurgeon’s “Arminian Prayer.” Well, today I was looking for it and I hope what I found is what he was talking about. I find this prayer quite funny. Spurgeon writes in his sermon, “Free Will–A Slave,”

…You have heard a great many Arminian sermons, I dare say; but you never heard an Arminian prayer—for the saints in prayer appear as one in word, and deed and mind. An Arminian on his knees would pray desperately like a Calvinist. He cannot pray about free-will: there is no room for it. Fancy him praying, “Lord, I thank thee I am not like those poor presumptuous Calvinists. Lord, I was born with a glorious free-will; I was born with power by which I can turn to thee of myself; I have improved my grace. If everybody had done the same with their grace that I have, they might all have been saved. Lord, I know thou dost not make us willing if we are not willing ourselves. Thou givest grace to everybody; some do not improve it, but I do. There are many that will go to hell as much bought with the blood of Christ as I was; they had as much of the Holy Ghost given to them; they had as good a chance, and were as much blessed as I am. It was not thy grace that made us to differ; I know it did a great deal, still I turned the point; I made use of what was given me, and others did not—that is the difference between me and them.” That is a prayer for the devil, for nobody else would offer such a prayer as that. Ah! when they are preaching and talking very slowly, there may be wrong doctrine; but when they come to pray, the true thing slips out; they cannot help it…

Spurgeon is right, no one would dare pray like that. It sounds too much like the Pharisee who prayed in Luke 18:11-12,

God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.

Rather all Christians who have experienced the mercy of God prays like the tax collector in Luke 18:13,

But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!”

For when we pray like the tax collector, Jesus says this of us in Luke 18:14,

I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.

Calvinism and Prayer

Timothy and Esther’s Prayer

An Arminian Quiz

John Piper has written a blog entry concerning the bridge collapse through the lens of Luke 13:1-5. It is also very interesting and encouraging to read the questions that his little girl asked in light of this tragedy. Do read this post and be blessed by it.

I Just Don’t Get It!

With All His Warts

If anyone ever thinks Piper is perfect…

Here is a link to a series of The Dividing Line webcasts where James White interacts with Steve Gregg over the subject of Calvinism. I like the job that White does because he lets long sections of Gregg to play before interacting with it. He also tries to keep the issues at a textual level. One program is just White expositing Romans 9. Another program focuses on the Greek construction of Acts 13:48. He is very respectful to Gregg and usually just laughs instead of hurling insults at the man, even compliments him in some places. So check them out. Each program is about an hour long.

James White–Steve Gregg Debate

James White on John 3:16-17

James White and Molinism