Bible Prophecy Under the Microscope-Episode 103 Gary answers a question he often receives about having conversations with dispensationalists. One of the difficulties dispensationalists have in understanding the Messianic kingdom promised by the prophets is with regard to its fundamental nature. Several major misconceptions lead them astray in this regard. We highlight but three: they assert that t [...]
Brock Hollett’s book Debunking Preterism opens with a discussion of “time texts” like “near,” “at hand,” “shortly,” and “quickly” and seven particular passages where the words appear in the book of Revelation (1:1, 3; 3:11; 22:6, 7, 10, 12, 20). He writes that these “time statements appear in the introductory and closing sections of the Apocalypse.” He claims that “[t]his type of literary device i [...]
Gary concludes his talk on the importance of knowing our own history. (Part One is here.) A further study of American history will show that there were many founders who were outspoken Christians who are rarely mentioned by historical revisionists. Consider, for example, John Dickinson (1732-1808) who was a lawyer, militia officer during the American Revolution, Continental Congressman from Pennsy [...]
James wrote to his fellow Christians at a time when hostilities and attacks were coming from the religious leaders of Israel. The book of Acts shows that some (many?) Jews opposed the Gospel, and many Jews embraced the Gospel (Acts 1-2), including some priests. Priests first confront Peter and John in Acts 4:1, where they, along with the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees, arrest the ap [...]
In a talk he gave recently, Gary discusses the importance of knowing where we’ve been in order to see the way forward. No matter what the Constitution states, ultimately “We the people” are the ones who decide. The Constitution could declare that God is sovereign over our nation’s civil governments, and the people could still ignore this truth. All 50 states mention God in some way or anothe [...]
Bible Prophecy Under the Microscope-Episode 102 Gary responds to a recent video by Pastor Jack Hibbs about the “expiration date of the United States.” When we approach the Scriptures, we must understand, first and foremost, that the Bible is a history book about redemptive history. So, we must ask, “Whose history of redemption is the Bible concerned with? Where was or is this history h [...]
While I was visiting my late friend Mike Britton, I spoke with a man who had been discipled by Mike. He’s been teaching a Bible study on prophecy. We spoke on the phone. He told me about a back-and-forth debate he was having with a friend. This friend would not look at alternative arguments. When he was confronted with some hard facts, he dismissed them. One of his arguments was that the early chu [...]
Gary discusses the current state of education in public schools and universities. The biblical view of the future presents the truth that history is moving forward, and every Christian is responsible before God to show himself a good and faithful steward of his God‐given gifts. God requires an accounting. The kingdom of God has purpose because God directs its every movement. History is not bound b [...]
• “In 1905, a Vermont doctor and his chauffeur were the first to successfully drive a car across the country from San Francisco to New York. It took them 63 days. Today you can fly cross-country in a matter of hours while using wireless Internet.” — David Bahnsen • “Nothing is more responsible for the Good Old Days than a bad memory.” • Everybody is always talking about ‘the good old days,’ and a [...]
Gary discusses Christian worldview, the pastorate, and current events. Government consists of sovereignty (legitimacy to rule: Romans 13:1), representation (accountability to the rule of another: Exodus 18:17- 23), law (a moral code by which to rule: Romans 13:4), jurisdiction (authority to enforce sanctions in the name of the ruler: 1 Peter 2:13-14), and continuity (stability and longevity of gov [...]
Bible Prophecy Under the Microscope-Episode 101 Gary responds to various views about the seven churches of the book of Revelation. A popular argument for a pre-tribulation rapture is the claim that while the “church” is mentioned 19 times in the first three chapters of the book of Revelation, in chapters 4–18 “there is absolute silence.”[1] Similar to the way author Mark Hitchcock places a gap in [...]
In the 1950s, the John C. Winston Company, later to become part of Holt, Rinehart and Winston, published “Adventures in Science Fiction,” a series of juvenile hardcover novels that made up a collection of thirty-six books. Some of the world’s greatest science fiction writers got their start with the series: Arthur C. Clarke (best known for 2001: A Space Odyssey), Ben Bova, Lester Del Rey, Donald W [...]
Gary is interviewed by Ricardo Davis from the Constitution Party of Georgia. Faith gives meaning to life. To determine the faith of a nation look to its institutions. The people, documents, institutions, educational establishments, courts, and halls of government will speak volumes regarding a nation’s faith and its religious commitment. What faith did America exhibit in its earliest days? Was it [...]
I heard a pastor say that the Session of the church where he was being considered as a pastor would not be permitted to preach on politics. He agreed with the restriction. This was troubling to me. No one can preach through the Bible and ignore politics. The Bible is filled with politics. There are two books of the Old Testament named Kings. The books of Joshua, Judges, Ruth, and First and Second [...]
Gary is interviewed by Pastor William Ochoa from Guatemala about presuppositional apologetics. All of us think in terms of worldviews. A worldview is the way each of us looks at and evaluates everything that is seen, experienced, or thought about. Worldviews have been described as a web of beliefs that we carry around in our heads that becomes an “interconnected system of all that we believe. Tied [...]
Gary gives an overview of the book of Revelation and helps readers to put the confusing book into perspective. From the very beginning, cranks and crackpots have attempted to use Revelation to advocate some new twist on the Chicken Little Doctrine: The Sky Is Falling! But, as I hope to show in this exposition, St. John’s Apocalypse teaches instead that Christians will overcome al opposition [...]
Are we to believe that while laws regarding incest (Lev. 18:8; Deut. 22:30; 27:20) apply in the New Testament (1 Cor. 5:1-2), but laws against sex with animals (Ex. 22:29), abortion (21:22-25), kidnapping (Deut. 24:7), arson (Ex. 22:6), or cursing the deaf or tripping blind people (Lev. 19:14) do not apply? Some might say that most of these are common-sense prohibitions. If this is the argument, t [...]
Gary discusses the need for biblical and worldview teaching and preaching that helps Christians to understand how God’s truth applies and informs every area of life. Does the Bible have a clear standard of ethical behavior that should be followed by sinners everywhere? Why the need to go to general revelation if the Bible already gives an answer? When you lead someone to Christ, do you point [...]
When you debate a subject, it is incumbent upon you to consider the strongest argument for the opposing position. Anything less than this approach is fundamentally flawed. In addition, failing to inform readers about works on the topic that support the opposing view is nothing less than sloppy scholarship. An example of this is Joel Richardson’s podcast about when Revelation was revealed to John. [...]
Political liberals are more than willing to use every means necessary to get their message out, even breaking tax laws they supported. When, in 1800, President John Adams received a letter from Germany, proposing to send over to this country “a company of schoolmasters, painters, poets, etc., all of them disciples of Thomas Paine,” he made prompt and emphatic reply as follows: “I had rather counte [...]
