Posts by Don Johnson
The Gospel at Street Level
We often urge others to be evangelists, get out the gospel, be a witness, and so on. Most Christians would agree that our business is the Great Commission, but we often struggle with how to put it into practice. There are various barriers naturally in place that may seem insurmountable. For example, as an employee,…
Read MoreWhat a Southern Baptist Can Learn from an Independent Baptist
Last Friday night, I attended the anniversary of the ministry of Evangelist Tim Lee. The title of this essay is not intended to suggest that there is only one thing to learn or even just a plethora of insights. Neither is it my intention to imagine that Independent Baptists have not had their share of…
Read MoreEpisode 3: Should We Heal or Pray? A Defense of Modern Medicine
Our January/February 2023 issue of FrontLine, Biblical Counsel for Medical Choices, includes the article “Should We Heal or Pray? A Defense of Modern Medicine” by Brett Williams. Brett has been a pastor and is the provost of Central Baptist Seminary. We had an interesting conversation about his article which surveyed the history of Christian attitudes…
Read MoreEpisode 2: Christian Ethics, Abortions, and Stem Cell Lines
Dr. Michael P. Riley, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church of Wakefield, Michigan discusses his article on ethical questions Christians have about using the Covid vaccine and other medicines. Specifically, should the use of stem cell lines in medical research affect our choices about medical treatments? Podcast: Episode 2: Christian Ethics, Abortions, and Stem Cell Lines…
Read MoreIntroducing the Proclaim & Defend Podcast
The many avenues of communication expand faster than any of us can keep up. Podcasting is one of those new forms in our world. Almost everyone has heard of podcasting, and, seemingly, almost everyone has a podcast. Why add one more? To start with, let me offer you our mission statement: FBFI’s Mission is to…
Read MoreHow Many Christians Does It Take to Change an Empire?
Roger Olson, in his interesting The Story of Christian Theology, remarks on p. 137, “No one can say just what percentage of the citizens and subjects of the empire were Christians by that time [c. ad 301], but a fair estimate would be about 5 percent.” Olson is remarking on the incredible sea change that…
Read MoreRick Warren on Ordaining Women
Rick Warren is making a splash in recent days over something his church, Saddleback Church, did last year, ordaining women to the pastoral ministry. That happened on May 6, 2021. Subsequently, Rick Warren retired as pastor, installing Andy Wood as the new senior pastor with Wood’s wife, Stacie listed as a “teaching pastor” at the…
Read MoreFundamentalism vs. Evangelicalism | Roger E. Olson
Evangelicalism, Fundamentalism, and New Evangelicalism – what’s the difference? (Guest Post by self-identified fundamentalist Rev. Don Johnson) “We suggest that those who still cling to the great fundamentals and who mean to do battle royal for the fundamentals shall be called ‘Fundamentalists.’” This sentence appeared in The Watchman-Examiner, a Christian paper edited by Curtis Lee…
Read MoreCan You Address God as Mother if You had a bad Father?
I recently took in a podcast from the Council of Biblical Manhood and Womanhood titled “Should We Call God Mother?” I commend the whole session to you for some insight into gender issues of our day. One point this podcast raised was in response to a point made by some professing Christians who oppose the…
Read MoreJesus is King
In my annual “read your Bible” post, I mentioned an “intense” reading schedule I’ve sometimes used. Another pastor suggested it to me and I’ve used it off and on for my personal Bible reading. You can read more about it here, but essentially it involves reading the New Testament in four weeks. When I use…
Read More