Saturday, June 30, 2012

Under the gospel oak.


Jeremy Walker wrote an article on Singing in Worship that I found to be very thought provoking. This portion in particular struck a chord (pun intended) with me.

It seems to me that simplicity is of the essence of our worship, allowing the spiritual substance to be expressed with sincerity and without distraction. As I have commented to our own congregation, imagine a situation in which the church is being persecuted. The secret police have learned that following the people who leave their homes with pianos on flatbed trucks on Sunday mornings is usually quite a productive train of enquiry, no less so those who carry violin or guitar cases. Perhaps it is too great a risk even to carry a Bible. Therefore, taking all necessary precautions, the believers meet at a pre-appointed place in the misty dawn, perhaps under a gospel oak as they did in days not so long ago. The saints gather swiftly and silently and with much prayer for their safety. There the appointed preacher arrives, and after prayer asks one of the saints to recite from memory the portion from which he intends to preach. He then expounds the passage, making its appropriate applications. The saints softly sing a couple of psalms or hymns together, ones easily memorized and readily learned. In a nearby stream a new convert is baptized, changing swiftly out of wet clothes, and then the Lord's supper is celebrated by the saints breaking bread and passing around wine. Before they depart they sing again, their voices muted but intense. Before long, the service is over, and the believers melt away into the growing day, leaving in various directions and small groups so as to arouse no suspicion.
What more is required? I am not saying that this is the ideal, or that anything different would be inherently sinful, but I do contend that absolutely nothing is lacking to make this pleasing to the Lord.
When we become comfortable, little things mean a whole lot more than essentials. That things we want become things we think that we NEED in order to worship the Lord God. Something to think about. You can read the whole thing by simply clicking here.

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Book Review: Christ's Prophetic Plans: A Futuristic Premillennial Primer


Christ’s Prophetic Plans: A Futuristic Premillennial Primer
General Editors: John MacArthur & Richard Mayhue
Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2012. 220pp. ISBN: 9780802401618


Can a person really know what the Bible says about prophecy? Is Israel, Israel? Are you supposed to take the Old Testament prophets literally? It is little wonder some Christians shy away from the study of the end times. Christ’s Prophetic Plans: A Futuristic Premillennial Primer provides a beneficial introduction to Futuristic Premillinalism and lays out a scriptural foundation for what the Bible teaches about the promises God made in the Bible. Each of the five contributors provide a Biblical explanation and overview of the theological end times position known as Futuristic Premillinalism, which teaches the Biblical prophesies concerning the nation of Israel, the return of Jesus Christ, and His kingdom are to be believed literally and are future in fulfillment.  This primer, or basic introduction, defines, discusses and defends Futuristic Premillinalism while showing that Biblical prophecy is both profitable and knowable if we hold to the sufficiency and perspicuity of scripture and we treat prophetic passages as we treat other passages in our interpretation.

The strength of the book excels in what so many books on end times fail to do – it begins at the beginning, the interpretation of scripture. The differences in eschatology can be boiled down to one question: “how do we interpret the Scriptures?”  The overall theme of the book derives from the necessary principle that we must interpret Scripture literally and read them as the author intended. Later chapters deal with the inconsistencies in many in the reformed camp who use a literal interpretation but switch to an allegorical method of interpretation when coming to end times prophecy. This issue is addressed in the chapter Does Calvinism Lead to Futuristic Premillinalism?  John MacArthur explains that “Futuristic Premillinalism results from understanding and applying prophetic Scripture in a way that is most consistent with the normal or literal approach for interpreting Scripture.” However, this is not a book on hermeneutics - rather the book illustrates how a literal interpretation of scripture applied to prophesy must by necessity leave one to a Futuristic Premillennial view.

Richard Mayhue skillfully tells us why we should study prophecy in the introduction - that the Biblical message of the end times is plenteous and is Christ centered. We can be certain about Biblical prophecy because God’s Word is clear and authoritative. This book is not a sensational “interpret the headlines” kind of book and condemns such attention grabbing works. The plethora of fantasy novels, books, diviners of the nightly news along with the unscriptural view of salvation by some dispensationalist have muddied the waters as to what dispensationalism actually teaches. Michael Vlach spends a couple chapters telling us what Dispensationalism is and what it is not. The term Futuristic Premillinalism is helpful in defining this eschatological view and as John MacArthur explains in the preface that the term “serves as a more focused term than dispensationalism when addressing prophetic issues.” There have been some dispensationalists who combined their eschatology with their faulty soteriology to add peripheral issues to define dispensationalism, and that is unfortunate. To quote MacArthur again “…dispensationalism shapes one’s eschatology and ecclesiology. That is the extent of it. Pure dispensationalism has no ramifications for the doctrines of God, man, sin, or sanctification. More significantly, true dispensationalism makes no relevant contribution to soteriology or the doctrine of salvation.”  The book then sets out to prove the basic tenets of Futuristic Premillinalism that:

1.       A normal interpretation of scripture is used for prophesy
2.       God’s promises to Israel in the Old and New Testament are future
3.       God’s promises in Revelation are future
4.       The church is not Israel

Chapter three begins the study of Biblical prophecy by defining the common eschatological views, how they differ, and then on to why the Bible teaches Futuristic Premillinalism. The introduction of other views is important to the work as these other views will be mentioned throughout while comparing them to Premillinalism. Every chapter title is a question (i.e. “Why a Pretrib rapture?” or “What about Israel?”) so every chapter is both explaining the position and answering common objections. 

The book is written by different authors, so you have different voices and different styles from chapter to chapter. There is a few instances overlap in some of the arguments of different portions of scripture (Acts 1 and Revelation 20) made by different contributors in different chapters. Chapter four answers common objections to Futuristic Premillinalism and I felt it interrupted the flow of the book and may have been better served as an appendix for future reference. However, the book will likely be most beneficial as a study guide or to come back as a reference book, so these are minor quibbles. The teaching style of the book was well written, plainly introducing each topic and leading the reading into the next. This will be helpful for those unfamiliar with prophetical study.

Christ’s Prophetic Plans set out to be an introduction on Futuristic Premillinalism and succeeds. This book would well serve anyone who is unfamiliar or intimidated by Biblical prophecy or one who may think that eschatology is vanity and not important. I also believe that those in the postmil/amil camp would benefit from reading what Futuristic Premillinalism actually teaches. Christ’s Prophetic Plans: A Futuristic Premillennial Primer is a readable introduction to the subject - but is by no means lightweight or frivolous. This could also be a great resource for pastors and teachers who are looking to do a study on eschatology to help map out a plan of attacking the series - it does a great job of laying out the basic beliefs on a logical and easy to follow path.  I received a copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of this review. My thanks to Moody Publishers.

Monday, June 11, 2012

But what are you REALLY trying to say?

"Never in the Bible is "year" used with a numerical adjective when it does not refer to the actual period of time that it mathematically represents. Unless evidence to the contrary can be provided, Revelation 20 is not the one exception in the entire scripture" Richard Mayhue - Christ's Prophetic Plans
Thought experiment for my Amillienatst friends that I've read others use with Genesis and creation. If God wanted to write down in a book that there would be a thousand year kingdom, how would He go about it? What words would he use?

Rev 20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

 How could that be communicated any clearer? Answer: It couldn't be any clearer or more explicit. 




Sunday, June 10, 2012

One of these things is not like the other.


What's worse? A hamburger in a tattoo parlor, or a getting your tattoo at Burger King?

Doug

Thursday, June 7, 2012

But which vessel is more precious?


1 Peter 3:7  Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.

Another good & thought provoking video from Ten2ndRule.


Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Guaranteed Success!


Isaiah 42:1-4  
Last time we asked if the Old Testament saints would have believed what they read and had faith that Messiah would not fail. This time, Jonathan Edwards helps us to consider the same passage from God's perspective. Would Christ succeed in His mission? Was there a chance that He wouldn't?
Shall He? 
"If Christ had not kept the Father’s commandments, he could not have continued in His love. He would have been cast out of favor. Nevertheless, it was impossible that Christ should not continue in His Father’s love for He was entitled to such help and support from him as should be effectual to uphold him in obedience to His Father. Therefore through the perfect obedience of Christ, God remedied the weakness of the first covenant and guaranteed the success of the second covenant. What the law failed of, being weak through the flesh, Christ performed.”  Jonathan Edwards 



Saturday, June 2, 2012

Shall He?


Isaiah 42:1-4  Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.  He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.

If I were a Hebrew living in exile in Babylon and was wondering if we would ever be delivered, and if I were looking for the Messiah and my hope was in God., and if I read Isaiah's message and believed it, I wonder if I thought the Messiah would fail? If I believed the message, how could I believe anything but exactly what it said?

There are a lot of "shalls" here. A lot of definitive statements that God said the Messiah WOULD do. In fact, it says that He SHALL NOT FAIL and not even fail, but be discouraged, or be crushed, or be broken. He will not be defeated. If I were a Hebrew, living in the Old Testament days reading the Bible, I would believe that the Christ not only WOULD not fail, but COULD not fail and i would have a lot of hope in the coming Saviour.

By God's grace, I would believe (as I do now) that the Christ is a perfect Saviour. I would have (and do) believe every word of Isaiah. When God said "He shall" I believe that He will - will not even the slightest chance of failure. I love the passages that point us to the Rock, the Anchor, the Stronghold of my soul - because He is a perfect Saviour, then and now and today and forever.

Stay tuned, there is more to come on this topic...


Doug