I just want to let you all know that I’ll be taking a time out from the blog for the next few days. My mom is visiting and we haven’t seen her since May.    She flew in from Africa (my parents are missionaries in Zambia) to be with my sister who had her gall bladder taken out a couple weeks ago. Needless to say, we’ll be spending time with her, rather than  with you all. I should be back and blogging by ’bout Thursday or Friday.

I know you all are just totally devastated right now.    Well, to tide you over, I’ll post a few links here to articles worth reading. Mind you they weren’t  written by me, but then again, maybe that makes them actually worth reading!

• “A Christological Paradigm for the Rule-Maker”  by Tom Pryde. This is a great article looking at what makes for a “good rule”.

• “How I Became a Southern Baptist” by Ryan DeBarr. This is a great look at what the Southern Baptist Convention really is.

• Mike Hess asks: “Will the real John MacArthur please stand?” Well, he doesn’t phrase it that way, but his post compares the IFBx caricature of MacArthur, with the “real McCoy”.   (or should that be “real Mac”?)

• Matthew  Richards (aka PT Barnum) suggests that Jack Schaap has been spinning yarn  (yarns, really).    In other words, he contends that Dr.  Schaap has been stretching the truth concerning tales of his years at Pillsbury Baptist Bible College in the 70s.

• Speaking of yarns, Rhett Kelley corrects an almost unbelievable misrepresentation of Calvinism in his post entitled “Bus Stop Theology” .

• Then, Rhett tackles legalism in the SBC regarding the legislation of teetotalism.

• Finally, my pal Nathan Pitchford reflects on 18 months of bloggingpublishing articles advancing Christ-centered Theology and Hermeneutics. And I say publishing, because his blog is more like a theological journal as far as quality goes. For a good example, check out this article he recently posted on Reformation Theology (yeah he contributes there, too) entitled “Land, Seed, and Blessing in the Abraham Covenant.” [I know, I have been pushing this article lately. So go ahead, already, give in and read it!]

The last couple weeks have left me a bit disconnected from the blog world. I have yet to catch up on my reading (I probably won’t read everything I could or would like to). This week, too, I have been a little under the weather.  

Well, as I get caught up and refocused on my blog, I thought I’d pass along some good reading that I have found recently. This post is not exhaustive, just a few recommended reads.  

• All you ever wanted to know about Luther and more! Seriously, there is quite the collection of informative posts, presented in an enjoyable and readable format,  on Luther over  at Captain Headknowledge. I put this at the top of the list because, A) October 31st is Reformation Day, and B) I haven’t yet read all, or even most of them yet. I do plan on reading most of it, John! And I do plan to observe 10/31 in a sacred way.
• Great article by Voyle Glover on leaving the IFBx fold, posted by Bread and Circuses.
• Newness in Music—a critique of both “old only” and “new only” positions on church music today by Brian McCrorie
• A Gospel Centered hermeneutical approach to Ecclesiastes, by Nathan Pitchford.
• An encouraging post on the faithfulness of one small Baptist church by Ryan DeBarr.
• A letter written by a Puritan pastor who had just recently lost his three children to death by disease—this was a challenging and encouraging read, posted by Gage Browning.
• Four posts defending a Reformed view of infant baptism by Gage Browning. (Note: I am sympathetic to this view, but do not share it.)
  • Part 1
  • Part 2
  • Part 3
  • Part 4
• And the latest two installments in Mathew Sims’ look at the doctrine of the Holy Spirit—he is taking on the whole cessationist/continuationist debate.
  • “The Holy Spirit—Part 1—My Experience” (part 5 of the series)
  • “The Holy Spirit—Part 2—My Experience” (part 6 of the series)