"The Internet Monk"

Dim Health Report on Michael Spencer,
Known on the Web as "The Internet Monk"

I had not visited the blog of Michael Spencer, "The Interent Monk," for a long time, to the best of my recollection. Back when blogging was somewhat in its "heyday," Michael was one of the most notorious of the bloggers, especially noted for his rather brash style and verbiage.

However, what "stirred my feathers" about Michael was when he tried to implicate C. H. Spurgeon in his pot of cauldron against the use of public invitations. He wrote extensively against invitations, and I replied to his exorbitancies in a short series of emails to my list [I was not blogging at the time]. Michael alleged that public invitations had "corrupted evangelical Christianity." I replied to his exaggerations point-by-point, and he wrote me some emails, demanding that I cease my criticisms.

[On The Calvinist Flyswatter, I commented:
And, as if to salve over his past approval of invitations, he said that "nearly every evangelical Christian" he knows responded to an altar call at the outset of their faith journey. He went on to explain that he later "met the Calvinists" and he was "ruined." He mentions Iain Murray's anti-invitation booklet, and goes on to embellish the names of a few notable Pedobaptist theologians who teach the "pre-faith regeneration" theory. He arrived at the conclusion that invitations had "corrupted evangelical Christianity," and it appears that he may be trying to demonstrate the reality of that corruption by furnishing himself as Exhibit A.]

Michael's other obsession to which I ventured to take exception was his extreme antagonism against Joel Osteen, our neighbor here in this area. He seemed to be determined to mount a "holy crusade" of sorts against Joel, while Joel just kept minding his own affairs and paid no attention to Michael's boisterous deprecations. We defended Joel and this infuriated Michael even more.

He alleged more than once that I was a "man without honor" or "integrity," but paid no attention to our critiques of what he had written on invitations, his Hybrid Calvinism, and other issues.

For some reason, and as blogging declined, we gradually more or less lost interest in what the Monk was saying about anything. We devoted a few stabs at humor about the Monk on the Calvinist Flyswatter, and soon had little to no contact with his website.

Yesterday, I was going thru my "Favorites" list of links, deleting some dead links, and I came upon The Internet Monk's. I checked to see if it was still functioning, and in doing so I came upon the unexpected report of his declining health -- which you may consult at this link.

Michael is only 53, and we regret that this is his condition. Despite our strong differences, we would have desired for him a long and enjoyable time for years to come. We pray for him, his family, friends, and entrust him to the Providence of our Lord and His Will for his life.