I am reading through two books that will help me complete my series on "Prevenient Grace" being
1) "Prepared by Grace, for Grace The Puritans on God’s Ordinary Way of Leading Sinners to Christ" By Joel R. Beeke and Paul M. Smalley
I am also working on some chapters to add to my series "Two Seed Baptist Ideology" and on some other draft articles.
I am still saddened by the recent decease of Ken Mann, one of the contributing editors of this blog. He was only 63. He and I first met by telephone back in 2017. I wrote a post on that at the time (See here). He called me to find out information about the "Primitive Baptists" who I once was affiliated with. Later I asked him to become a contributing editor of this blog. He was a Southern Baptist and a historian of Baptist history. He was not a Calvinist and I wondered whether I had done the right thing in asking him to be an editor of this blog. However, as time went on, and we became close friends, often communicating by e-mail and talking on the telephone, I knew I had made the right decision.
The Lord used my association with brother Mann to make me more meek and gentle with other Christians who rejected some aspects of Calvinism. I thank the Lord for that. Too many Calvinists are not able to have fellowship with their Arminian brothers and I think that is not good. Brother Kenny was also very kind and gentle towards me. We both cared about saving the lost. I attribute this fact due to my being delivered from the errors of Hyper Calvinism and Hardshellism. Those brethren can be quite stand-offish and possess a holier than thou attitude. God used Kenny to temper me, so that I am now more of a "softie." I have learned how to disagree with brethren on the bible without being so disagreeable.
I miss my dear brother. I miss getting e-mails from him, asking how I am doing, or sending me a new song, or asking me a question on the bible or church history. I miss being able to share hymns and new songs with him. We would often call each other "reverend" after I wrote an article on how some go overboard in saying that preachers should never be called reverend.
He would often make a comment on something I wrote. We get very few comments any more even though we have been getting 200,000 page views per month. That is a little strange. His insights were appreciated by me. When I would write on some of the beliefs of Calvinists I would write with brother Kenny in mind and this would prevent me from being too harsh in my writing against Arminian views.
I also am saddened by the death of Elder Lasserre Bradley Jr. However, his decease was not a surprise as was that of Kenny's departure. Bradley was 91. I watched his funeral at the church last Friday. I was glad that I had gotten to see him in person a couple years ago when I visited the Cincinnati church.
My wife is still battling lung cancer and undergoing immunotherapy. Her recent CT scan showed that the cancer had shrunk almost 50%. I ask for your continued prayers for her. As for me, I still have several health issues. I have had pulmonary fibrosis for five years now, so my time is very short. I have been having severe headaches for the past 2-3 months and I have a CT head and neck scan scheduled in June (the earliest I could get). I also was recently diagnosed with eczema and suffer from rashes and itching. I also have several other health issues to deal with.
With the way things are going in the world I am hoping the Lord takes Paulette and me before things get worse, which I firmly believe they will. I believe that the year 2030 will be an important date in bible prophecy, and many others agree. Recall that the World Economic Forum said, a few years ago, that "by 2030 you will own nothing and be happy." That will also mark two thousand years since the death of Christ and the Lord by the prophet said "After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight." (Hosea 6: 2) Taking a "day" for a "thousand years" and assuming Christ died on the cross in 30 A.D., this prophecy could well be fulfilled in 2030. I don't mind the Lord taking me out of the world before the time of the great tribulation begins. I do, however, feel fretful for my younger loved ones.
Thanking all our readers and visitors for your prayers and support, I also ask for your continued prayers.
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