Checking in from a coffee shop on an island in the Pacific…
I am enjoying a wonderful time of teaching God’s Word to a group of 26 brothers from a Restricted Access Nation. Our theme is “The Mission of Jesus and His Disciples” (basically an exposition of the Great Commission and its implementation in Acts and the Epistles, particularly Ephesians). I love teaching this stuff—it is always convicting for me, as a pastor, to be reminded of these basic truths and how the local church must be dominated by the task and determined to follow the example of Jesus—“I have glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You gave Me to do” (John 17:4).
Owen Strachen has weighed in on the Great Pavilion Debate. He makes some good points and is worth taking the time to read it. I agree with him that there are significant differences between Fuller and SBTS, and would agree that the presidency of Al Mohler (vs. Ockenga, Carnell, or Hubbard) is one of them. I am not quite ready to concede that this was about Al Mohler as much as it was about the possible differences in the thinking of conservative evangelicals and fundamentalists. I still believe we all are too quick to personalize discussions, and this tendency has been, for the most part, detrimental to the health of the church. Anyway, I appreciate the “push back” on my posts by Owen, Mark, and Greg. Oh, and a closing note, based on a conversation with a friend regarding the importance of a good wife. The context was a discussion about a missionary who needed to come home from the field because his wife couldn’t adjust well. My friend said something like, “The wife decision is one you can’t go back and do over.” How true! And how thankful I am that God gave me an incredible wife who loves the Lord and the Great Commission enough to let her husband run all over the world for the sake of His Name. What favor I obtained from the Lord when He gave me her! SDG
