Archives for 9.26.07

BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Burmese riot police attack monks: “Monks’ shaved heads stained with blood could be seen at the Shwedagon Pagoda where police charged against protesters demanding the end of military rule.”

The news out of Myanmar (Burma) call to mind the life of Adoniram Judson and his missionary enterprise in the very shadow of the famous Shwedagon Pagoda mentioned in this article. Here are links to pictures of the Buddhist shrine:

• on mir.com
• on zininfo.com
• on trekearth.com

I wonder what the results of this unrest will be for the Christians in Burma, especially for a good friend and colleague who is a member of our mission. Whatever happens, I hope greater freedom for the gospel is the result. I suppose the unrest doesn’t make that promising.

For a life of Judson, I can think of no finer work for easy reading than To the Golden Shore by Courtenay Anderson. It is well worth your reading, and especially I think well worth reading to children. Some parts are hard to get through, the tears will flow.

Regards,
Don Johnson
Jer 33.3

Online couple cheated with each other | The Daily Telegraph: “Online couple cheated with each other”

Larry Rogier has an excellent comment here.

Regards,
Don Johnson
Jer 33.3

David Cloud is one of those figures with whom I find myself alternately in agreement and disagreement. I agree with him in many of his emphases and especially on his condemnation of ‘easy believism’ which he calls ‘easy prayerism’. I disagree with him profoundly on his promotion of King James Only views, although I don’t begrudge his holding them.

The subject of this post is not a matter of theological disagreement or agreement. It is a matter of integrity in reporting. In a headline item in his ‘Friday News Notes’, he sent out just last Friday this jarring headline:

BJU PROFESSOR RECOMMENDING NEW EVANGELICAL MINISTRIES

In the short article that follows, Cloud criticises a presentation by Nathan Crockett at the Whetstone Conference this last summer at Mount Calvary Baptist Church, specifically criticising Dr. Mark Minnick and alleging that Dr. Minnick gives blanket endorsement to New Evangelicals. Cloud attempts to slime Bob Jones University with the same charge. [Nathan Crockett is Dr. Minnick’s son-in-law.]

I downloaded the presentation earlier this summer but had not yet listened to it. Since Cloud so unfavorably reviewed it, I took some time in my travels today to listen to the presentation. If you would like to hear the presentation, it is available here for purchase. Here is my take:

Far from a blanket endorsement of new evangelical ministries, Bro. Crockett repeatedly made disclaimers throughout the presentation: “we wouldn’t agree with many things said on this site”, “they don’t take the kinds of stands we would take”, “we don’t endorse their positions”, etc. The point of the presentation was to provide awareness of on-line resources especially with a view to using the internet as a source of information for sermon preparation and for being able to be aware of things our people may bring up (such as movies — and you know that you will be dealing with people commenting on the movies they see, don’t you?) A wise pastor should be aware of current events, both as a resource for sermon illustration and for awareness of what the people are thinking about. Cloud criticises Crockett for mentioning the New York Times as a source of news… (eyes roll!!) Bro. Crockett did mention that the NYT is a liberal paper, but it is a NEWSpaper, is it not? And, quite frankly, it is an excellent resource for news on the web, with an eye into the liberal mindset. The people we are trying to reach in North America think this way, how do you expect to reach people you don’t understand? (And the NYT is a great source of crossword puzzles, my own little on again, off again addiction!)

Could Bro. Crockett’s presentation have been better? I suppose. I suspect that Crockett himself would confess so. I found the presentation to be quite helpful. He mentioned sites which I wasn’t really aware of, but think could be quite useful as resources. From my perspective, there were generally more than sufficient disclaimers throughout, anyone who listens to the actual presentation would not come to the coonclusion that either Minnick or Crockett offered any kind of ‘endorsement’ of new evangelicals in any way. One can only wonder if Cloud isn’t miffed that his own efforts weren’t mentioned!

In short, I am quite disappointed by Cloud’s comments. In my view, he dishonestly misrepresents Mount Calvary Baptist Church, Mark Minnick, Nathan Crockett and Bob Jones University.

Regards,
Don Johnson
Jer 33.3

I am sailing up the Strait of Georgia as I type this. It is an absolutely gorgeous evening. Blue skies, a low sun setting over Vancouver Island, the hills and mountains of the Island a purple haze, merging into the few clouds hanging low in the West where the sea meets the sky. The waters of the Strait are calm, quietly rippled. Even a prairie boy like me can admit admiration for this part of God’s wonderful creation.

I am heading home from a day down to Seattle. As I mentioned in my last post, my dear mother-in-law is very ill. My wife has gone to Nashville to spend a few weeks with her, perhaps the last weeks our dear one will spend on earth. It is lung cancer. The name of the disease is the name of decay and the curse. The fruit of Adam’s sin wracks our mortal bodies, bringing them down to dust in the end.

All our labours, hopes, and dreams come to an end at last, at least as far as this life is concerned. Even now, in my own body, decay is evident. I cannot run so far as I once could. Run? I can barely run at all, and not for long. One day, if the Lord tarries, it will be my turn to lie at death’s door and answer the call of the curse as well.

The purple glory in the west seems to belie the dread and despair my soul feels. What congruence hath this glory in this world of sin and shame? The sight of the setting sun brings to mind the hope of the kingdom to come, the glories of the King who died for all men, and especially for the household of God. The sun is setting on this world, but the Son is rising. One day, in all his brightness and glory, the curse will be gone and done. All His saints will reign with Him … now that is an incongrous thought, as I think of the weary body of my dear wife’s mother, coming close to the end of her earthly span. She will one day stand with the Son, in His glory. And so will I, and all who love Him and look for his appearing. We are not significant players in this world of might and men, but we will reign with the Son.

The Son in his Book promises these things to us. Believest thou this?

Regards,
Don Johnson
Jer 33.3

P.S. For a look at some Vancouver Island sunset images, these are the best I’ve seen on the Web:

Stubbs Island Sunset

BC Coast Sunset

Sunset Nootka Sound

It is so beautiful around here we tend to take it for granted.