In today’s episode Gary takes a look at the crippling effects of incorrect eschatology and how dispensational premillennialism keeps Christians from impacting the world for the Kingdom of Christ.
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Gary is a graduate of Western Michigan University (1973) and earned his M.Div. at Reformed Theological Seminary in 1979. Author of countless essays, news articles, and more than 27 book titles, he also hosts The Gary DeMar Show, and History Unwrapped—both broadcasted and podcasted. Gary has lived in the Atlanta area since 1979 with his wife, Carol. They have two married sons and are enjoying being grandparents to their grandsons, Calvin and Paul. Gary and Carol are members of Midway Presbyterian Church (PCA).
I respect his Vision for America, and he is very alert to the dangers creeping up on America. Anyone who has trusted Christ is ultimately not afraid of correct doctrine – we are truth seekers. I don't fear post-mill theology, I just think it is way off.
The good point he makes though is that we (pre-trib raptursists) must strive in every way to change our world now and not dependent on the belief that we will be rescued from this time of "Jacob's Troubles."
Love you guys, Keep up the fight against the Marxists running our country now.
Disappointment of having actually participated in letting society become what it has become because of one's eschatology is another shocking aspect.
A ten minute recounting of a Stephen King movie all to say that dispensationalists and premillenialists are fearful to live in the world and to makes changes…huh? Where's the data point for that assertion? Maybe Gary should be reading the Bible more instead of watching Stephen King movies. The straw man analogy doesn't prove a thing that premil and dispesational thought is unbiblical. Scripture is the final authority on the matter of eschatology…and there's plenty of it to discuss without needing to look to Hollywood to validate our ideas!
Pre-mils witness, sure, but the problem is that the ones I know stop there, as if all the Bible has to say about life here is, "get saved, and get other people saved, and don't worry about that salvation working outwardly to change the world, since it's gonna burn." An internalized faith is not a complete faith, since the Word speaks about much more than "Jesus living in my heart." And maybe, just maybe, our witness would be stronger if we applied God's Law Word to ALL of life, instead of leaving it behind in favor of the next convert, who won't be taught God's Law either. Recently had a long discussion with a good pre-mil friend who just couldn't accept the fact that God tells us in His Word who cannot be voted for, for instance, because he just KNOWS we're going to be raptured soon, so it doesn't really matter, and we should just do whatever it takes to get by until then. He actually said that. Obedience to him seemed very selective. He basically said "Christians have no hope in changing the world." So of course he isn't going to bother to try!
I think it was a great analogy……not intenting to be a scriptural proof. The real reality is that most of my friends who are premils definitely face this problem just as Gary explained it!
Your analogy of dispensational premils being like the guy in prison is interesting. However, I didn't catch any Biblical proof or support being offered for your view. It is easy to accuse pre=mils of not having any impact on their culture or just waiting around for Christ to rapture the Church while being idle, but the reality is that most pre=mils are active in witness and service for Christ while waiting for Christ to return. In this you are creating a straw man that does not, in most cases, really relate to reality.
After watching your seven minute video, not fully understanding your view of the world and what it will look like near the return of JESUS CHRIST, I am covinced that respectable looking individuals and words used out of GODS holy bible by some to sound spiritual and seem to be spiritual is dishearting to me. Deception is up tp our eyeballs in and out of the church. The time of Jesus returning is near to if you believe the WORD of GOD and have an ounce of discernment thru PRAYER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
God works with what HE KNOWS to be the Truth (specific and limited information) within an individual, from within them ("Know ye not that you are the temple of the Lord? is how Christ put it); and if it is only rhetoric of who did what and when and endless suppositions during a time of inconsistencies, being flung about, then there is no edification for a man who is hearing or reading to find his way to the Truth within, and no return to the simplicity of obedience and faithfulness. In light of this: What is your purpose in your dialogues? If the truth (only) is not taught, why teach anything at all? Remember the UNPARDONABLE sin: Sinning against the Holy Spirit (the Spirit of Truth). Speak to mankind of commonalities; God with take it from there.
@dean
How much did you pay to hear Gary present his point of view? I don’t about you but it was free for me.
Of course, it’s much less reprehensible to make a living telling people lies. /sarc We have a good number in Washington that do it every day. If someone provides truth in a way clear and understandable way and others benefit from it and wish help that person reach more people, there’s nothing reprehensible about it.
Gary– Is it just possible that you haven't kept up with God's dispensational times and that your particular skew of the Bible, Jesus & Christianity isn't the whole picture? Maybe to be free of your particular eschatology for a more expanded one, is the greatest gift that God has given any of us? Sure, responsibility matters. We all have to give a personal accounting for our own actions someday, not the next guy's. Interesting your taste in TV programs ("Yes, Minister") but don't expect everyone to seek you out for advice. Personally I've always felt it reprehensible for anyone to make a livelihood out of telling people the truth, which everyone deserves, free of charge. When will you get a real job?
Are you going to stream this or post this debate online somewhere… I can not come live to the debate but would love to hear it…
Brilliant Gary – loved this episode. I can see this prison example in so many of my friends and family. That's exactly it – people are afraid of the implications of postmillennialism. It means responsibility; something our generation hardly knows anything of.