Saturday, August 09, 2008

Twittering in Florida

WHAT'S GOING ON WITH
THE FLORIDA TWITTERER?

Since Tom Ascol's being hit by lightning, his new assistant, Timmy Brister, a recent graduate of Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville, has had the responsibility for conducting the church services, etc.
at the church in Cape Coral, Florida.

Up till lately, I had become rather sympathetic toward Timmy with respect to his having to so soon "take over" from Tom in such adverse circumstances. He had no sooner arrived in Cape Coral until he was shouldered with a lot of new and heavy responsibility.

But I am beginning to wonder if Timmy really has "in his heart" all that hi-falutin' talk he used to do on his blog about "evangelism," soul-winning, witnessing, etc.

Since Tim has started "Twittering" on his blog, it appears that if he is making any effort to wins souls in Cape Coral, he is not saying much about it. He tells about doing just about everything else -- you name it, and he has been doing it.

Today, for example, I just read his Twittering and he is into cycling, golfing, killing ants, and watching the Olympics. Other similar activities have been twittered about in other recent entries. Sounds like he is having a lot of fun in between preaching and other church matters.

Nothing wrong with all that, but Timmy had really lead me to think that there would be much more to his ministry in the evangelistic category in view of his former writings when he was in Seminary. I sorta thought he would be more of a "flaming evangelist" type, and I'm rather disappointed. I expected him to get out there in the highways and hedges and demonstrate to the lagging Southern Baptist churches "how to get it done" the right way -- the "Reformed" way.

But it appears that Timmy may just be another "chip off the block" of "dead wood" which usually seems to characterize the professed "Calvinists" of the "Reformed" school of doctrine. The time they spend on evangelism and soul-winning effort is evidently very, very little, if any at all. That probably is one of the reasons their churches seldom, if ever, grow by adding new converts. It has been my observation that most of their additions are proselytes from "Arminians" and splits from Baptists over "Calvinism."

I know some will think this is quite "mean" to say, but I'm just "telling it like it is," and the Reformed "Calvinists" know it even far better than I know it. If evangelizing depended upon the Reformed camp, how much do you think would be done? They hold more "conferences," "seminars," "fraternals," etc. than they hold evangelistic meetings. They "engage" more Arminians on "the doctrines of grace" than they engage lost souls with the Gospel.

Did you ever hear of R. C. Sproul, James White, Al Mohler, Tom Nettles, the Flounders, etc. holding an evangelistic meeting, endeavoring to make converts by preaching the Gospel? That approach does not characterize the "Reformed" brethren's idea of "evangelism."

"Evangelism" for the Pedo Reformed such as Sproul is the baptism of infants by which to add members, while the "Reformed" Baptists try to proselyte from the "Arminians." With James White, it seems that he equates his so-called "apologetics ministry" as "evangelism." Wonder how many of the elect have been called thru James' ordeals with the cults and other "isms"?

In general, the "Reformed" brethren leave the "highway and hedges" type evangelism to the "Arminians." Then they try to proselyte the converts made by the Arminians.

If you want to follow Tim's daily activities, here's the link to the blog on which he writes his "twittering." http://timmybrister.com/

6 Comments:

At Saturday, August 09, 2008 1:27:00 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Humility is to continually see the good traits in others and to continually behold your own faults.

 
At Sunday, August 10, 2008 8:29:00 AM, Blogger Rick said...

This makes sense.

Those that champion reformed theology eventually find that their precepts are not just weak but also easy to denounce.

Even if one cherry-picks the NT to find support for their ideas, as they do, one can find verse in the bible to show contrary views or more simply one can show that when these verse are put into proper context that their argument is either weak or non-existent.

In the end, the ludicrous TULIP is seen as being quite foolish.

The bonehead who came up with "Total Depravity" as an answer to some of the ills men are capable of (and at the same time not wishing to recognize the good that people do--many of whom are not necessarily believers) has done more damage to Calvinists than anything else.

Calvinists might like to think that they are an ever expanding sect but in reality they are no more savvy or forward moving than are Jehovah Witness or Mormons.

They are small time and always will be.

 
At Wednesday, August 13, 2008 11:35:00 PM, Blogger Charles said...

Brother Anthony, Hello!

You wrote, "Humility is to continually see the good traits in others and to continually behold your own faults.

Would you please email this little tidbit to James White? The man thinks he is a cross between Paul the Apostle and Chuck Norris -- and promotes others who make such comparisons about him! Take a look sometime at the pictures and cartoon drawings he keeps on his blog about himself.

Charles

 
At Wednesday, August 13, 2008 11:43:00 PM, Blogger Charles said...

Brother Bob, Hello!

Not only do Flounders such as Timmy practice little or no evangelism, they mock those who do.

At one time, Timmy on his blog expressed an interest in missions. If I were a betting man, I would wager that he contacted the IMB who promptly told him, "Thanks but no thanks!" Running a blog with the primary purpose of trashing the beliefs of the vast majority of SBC churches and pastors will not get you hired as a denominational missionary.

Timmy ended up at the one place that would have him. The Lord has a knack of working things out, doesn't He?

Charles

 
At Thursday, August 14, 2008 7:41:00 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Evagelism for "reformed" Baptist amounts to unlocking the church doors on Sunday morning.

 
At Friday, August 15, 2008 11:07:00 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Rick it is interesting to see that you have very limited doctrinal understanding of the condition of man and that you don't believe in the depravity of man.

My Jesus died for a purpose evidently yours died in vain.

The Word tells how dead in sin we are so I am wondering what sects bible you are ready because it isn't the Holy Word of God.

Praying for your soul!

 

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