Posts filed under ‘emergent church’
What Can We Expect During the Millennium, Part 3?
Technically, Christ defeated the devil publicly at His death and resurrection. However, to this day, God has allowed Satan to continue trying to build a one-world globally unified system of governance in which he, through his spiritual son Antichrist, will rule the world. God allows this because His historical triumphing over Satan will be publicly enforced when Jesus returns to this world (2 Thessalonians 2).
What Can We Expect During the Millennium, Part 1?
We know that Jesus currently sits at the right hand of the Father in heaven and He rules with Him now (Hebrews 12:2; Philippians 2:8-9; John 1:1-3; 17:5; Acts 7:55-56). However, if we consider just Psalm 2, we learn that God the Father will install as ruler His Son, Jesus, to rule the nations from Zion (Jerusalem). It is an interesting Psalm and one that is tied to God the Son’s future rule over all the earth. Revelation tells us that He will rule with a rod of iron (Revelation 2:27) and this refers to His physical rule over all the earth. It is difficult to understand Scripture in terms of allegory when it is too clear that the texts are to be taken literally, just as the texts were to be taken literally referring to Christ’s physical birth as an infant into this world as a human being (while retaining His full deity; the God-Man with two natures; Philippians 2).
These Are the End Times We’ve Been Hearing About…
If the people of my generation are leaving God behind and embracing all forms of idolatry and sin, how much more difficult will it be for young people of today to become and remain anchored to God now? Every generation must ask the question: what will they do with God? Starting out strong is wonderful. Remaining strong to the end is preferred and too many are not ending on that note. Too many are like Susan in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, who finds the things of this world too alluring to avoid. In the end, she shuts down her once thriving affection for Aslan, exchanging it for the love of the world.
Are Patriotism and Christianity Essentially the Same?
We cannot emphasize this enough. It is not about saving America because according to the Bible, an evil one is coming who will completely take over and rule the entire world. America might still be called “America” at that point, but it will most certainly not be the America that was founded by our founding fathers. When Jesus returns physically to this earth, do we actually believe He’s going to allow America to remain as America? In point of fact, He will set up His Millennial Kingdom over which He Himself will rule from His father David’s throne in Jerusalem. There will be nothing throughout the earth that He does not control. He will reign supreme for 1,000 years and nothing will deter His rule. There will not be a “president” of the United States and if is very possible that the U.S. won’t even exist at that point. Yet, patriots and Christians alike continue to spend endless hours fighting for a country while people die into eternity to the tune of 150,000 per day. Does this make any sense?
Continue Reading November 28, 2016 at 7:35 AM Leave a comment
Eschatology in Romans Related to Israel and the Church, Part 2
Unfortunately, in today’s religious climate, many even within Christendom see Israel as a problem rather than the source of blessing from God’s perspective. They point to the nation’s rejection of Jesus as Messiah and God’s judgment upon that nation in AD 70 by Rome. This, they believe, is when God not only judged the nation, but chose at that time to cut all ties with Israel forever. While God certainly judged, He most certainly did not cut all ties with Israel. Only through incorrect exegesis and allegorical maneuvering can God’s Word be said to teach that. The whole of the Bible does not support such an untenable position.
What Can We Expect or Hope For Now that Election is Over?
Why did God speak (through prophets) so far ahead of events to prophesy that they were coming? For two reasons. First, God wanted everyone in Israel (and oftentimes the world itself), to know that what He said would come to pass would come to pass and He would use prophets to foretell these events way before the actual events themselves so that no one could claim to have seen it coming through situations of the times. Second, because it gave plenty of time for Israel to repent, turn around, and begin seeking God’s face again.
What Does It Mean to Understand or Interpret the Bible Literally?
Let’s take the phrase that is often seen on highway signs, “Fine for littering.” Now, most people understand that to say that if a person is caught throwing garbage out of the car window (littering), they will be subject to a fine payable to the court that has jurisdiction over that area.
Continue Reading August 31, 2016 at 10:22 AM Leave a comment
Christian: Our Need to Renew Our MINDS
The problem with many Christians today (and therefore, Christendom), is that too many of us simply fail to use our God-given brains. We have become complete strangers as far as reason is concerned, as if God wants us to put our critical thinking skills on the shelf and go through life blindly using what we think is faith to determine truth. Even if things don’t make sense, we tell each other to continue on the path that will eventually lead us to understanding. Faith doesn’t determine truth. Faith accepts truth in spite of how it may seem at first. The only way to know truth is to study His Word. This is an act of worship.
Too Many Televangelist Phonies and Cronies Prove Tares Exist
Over the years, there have been many televangelists who have made a name for themselves because they have deliberately co-opted Christianity for their own benefit. Certainly, not all televangelists are guilty of this, but too many of them are and it is aggravating to say the least. I’m really not sure that the average non-Christian actually sees the difference, yet it some ways, it’s very clear that these non-Christians have far more common sense than many who call themselves Christians and get sucked up into the morass created by con artist televangelists.
It’s All About Dominionism, Kingdom Now, and the New Apostolic Reformation, Part 8
As I’ve stated before, the overall problem with human attempts to institute a “Christian theocracy” especially using Old Testament laws to do so, is that the concept of grace is gone. Beyond this, people involved in this movement are actually declaring that God is incapable of doing it Himself. Moreover, the question of who – or which group – would actually be in charge of such a system also needs to be asked. Unlike Israel of old, we do not have an “urim and thummin” as was used by the Old Testament Jewish priests. Even if we did, we have no clue how the priests determined God’s will from using it. Colossians 2:17 tells us these things were merely a shadow of the things that were found in Jesus. They are gone. North wants to bring them back.
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