Allen Nelson IV 
In my GBTS class on ecclesiology the other night, Dr. Jeffrey Johnson told us the story of John Calvin’s pastoral ministry in Geneva during the plague of 1542. I was able to check out Harry Reeder’s work in John Calvin: A Heart for Devotion Doctrine & Theology (edited by Burk Parsons) to learn a little more. … Read more
John Wesley I disagree with Wesley on several important doctrinal points. But consider how he recounts his own testimony from May 24, 1738: “In the evening I went very unwillingly to a society in Aldersgate Street, where one was reading Luther’s preface to the Epistle to the Romans. About a quarter before nine, while he … Read more
Today’s post has my name on it, but I didn’t write it. Rather, we turn to our friend John Bunyan to consider his exhortations on why believers ought to depart from iniquity. This comes from Bunyan’s work, A Holy Life, The Beauty of Christianity. Here are Bunyan’s words on why Christians must depart from iniquity: … Read more
I wrote this post while there were still quite a few unknowns about COVID-19. President Trump had just declared a National Emergency. Local schools began closing all over the world. The NCAA canceled important sporting events and subsequently all spring sports. And most tragically, many presumably unconverted people entered into eternity. This post does not … Read more
God is good and sovereign! The following is taken from Charles Haddon Spurgeon’s Sermon “A View of God’s Glory”. The section below was particularly edifying to me (the remaining words are all Spurgeon’s): “Do not be alarmed, my Friends, because I am going to preach about Divine Sovereignty. I know some people, when they hear … Read more
Here I am, a Baptist writing a post against baptism. That might be like Michael writing a post dogging the Big 10 or something. But actually, this post isn’t actually against baptism. Rather, it’s because I love baptism so much that I write today’s post. Now originally, this post was a response to J.D. Greear … Read more
I don’t buy the argument that says Americans are worse today than we were 50 years ago, 100 years ago, or even 240 years ago. Some may be baffled at such a statement given present cultural controversies over marriage and abortion, and the general disdain we seem to have as a society for the things … Read more
George Whitefield once preached a message on Acts 26:28 entitled, The Almost Christian. In today’s post, I want to highlight 5 reasons he gives for Almost Christians. I affirm that these reasons are still true today. Particularly, they are true in the cultural context in which I am part of, namely Bible Belt Christianity. So, … Read more
In God’s kind providence, it was a biblical understanding of the great doctrine of regeneration that birthed (I’m not sure if I’m intending the pun or not) the evangelical movement of the 18th century. Sadly, it is also a misunderstanding and underemphasis of this doctrine that has contributed to the unraveling of evangelicalism in the … Read more
Did a man directly created by God out of the dust named Adam really exist in history? Did he really have a wife named Eve? Did he really have sons and daughters and populate the earth? And does it really even matter? Well, actually, yes it does. And I’m going to give you 5 reasons … Read more
Really, part of me is just going for blog title of the year. The rest of me, however, does have a point to make. And I understand that latitudinarianism is probably not a word you casually mention much over coffee. But I’d like to take a quick trip in church history, and then apply that … Read more
Is there a more alarming passage in the Scriptures than Matthew 7:21-23? As He is concluding the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many … Read more