Counting the Cost of Christian Resistance in an Age of Biblical Illiteracy

Counting the Cost of Christian Resistance in an Age of Biblical Illiteracy

The Bible is a practical book. It deals with the real world. It’s not a book of magic or wishful thinking. It’s a rubber-meets-the-road reality check. This is why Jesus told His disciples to count the cost before embarking on a task: “For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it? [...]

What the Church Gave Up to be 'Relevant'

What the Church Gave Up to be 'Relevant'

John Webster (1610–1682), writing in 1654, stated, “But if man gave his assent unto, or believed the things of Christ … because they appear probable … to his reason, then would his faith be … upon the rotten basis of human authority.” When the full-orbed biblical worldview is given up for some claim to neutrality and unaided reason, the center collapses and the edifice falls i [...]

What Most Premils Don’t Know About Israel

What Most Premils Don’t Know About Israel

What identifies a premillennialist — classical and dispensational — is that the Jews that survive the Great Tribulation will reign with Jesus from Jerusalem during the thousand years of Revelation 20. This is the definition, and yet, Revelation 20 does not say anything about the Jews reigning on earth with Jesus from Jerusalem in what is described as a millennial paradise. Once again, we have a do [...]

Calvinism, Premill, Postmill, and Israel

Calvinism, Premill, Postmill, and Israel

In 2007, John MacArthur delivered “Why Every Self-Respecting Calvinist is a Premillennialist” at the March 2007 Shepherd’s Conference at Grace Community Church. The premise of MacArthur’s talk was based on the everlasting covenant with Israel. MacArthur, who believes in “sovereign election” as it relates to individual salvation, is surprised that many of his sovereign grace colleagues who are amil [...]

The Nagging Persistence of Failed Eschatologies

The Nagging Persistence of Failed Eschatologies

As happens at least once a week, I get involved in a discussion concerning eschatology. What’s happening in Afghanistan and the push for a global reset is bringing out the prophecy pundits. The following comment caught my attention: Do you also blame the Roman empire on the present-day rush towards globalism, a global digital currency, and a global government? how does Nero factor into what [...]

What Makes the Taliban Tick?

What Makes the Taliban Tick?

It is horrible to see the collapse of Afghanistan and thousands trying to flee the country before the Islamists take complete control there. What motivates the Taliban who once again are violently asserting power in that country? What makes the Taliban tick? There’s no mystery here. In some ways, it’s the same impulse at work in our world for the last 1400 years, ever since the hordes of Mohammed, [...]

Throwing Elephants for Fun and Profit

Throwing Elephants for Fun and Profit

What does it mean to “throw the elephant”? A person responds to an argument by dumping loads of seemingly relevant information on it, calls the dump a “refutation,” and declares himself to be the winner, all the while hoping his opponent won’t notice how faulty much of the information is. The internet has made throwing the elephant a favorite tactic of anti-Christian bigots. It used to be that a r [...]

Some of My Favorite Sci-Fi Films

Some of My Favorite Sci-Fi Films

Many science fiction films breed optimism. They lay out what’s possible. Technology is good if used for the right reasons. There is generally a theme of good and evil. Some older sci-fi films dealt with technology gone wrong like in The Fly or Them. Others have a moral bent to them as in The 27th Day based on the novel by John Mantley. Films trying to depict the signs of the times are said to be f [...]

Congresswomen Want Muslim American Heritage Month

Congresswomen Want Muslim American Heritage Month

“As we continue to see an uptick in anti-Muslim hate, it is important we recognize the resiliency and accomplishments of Muslim Americans with a formal resolution,” Rep. Ilhan Omar claimed. Reps. Omar and Rashida Tlaib, and other leftists want to designate July as Muslim American Heritage Month. President Obama claimed that “Islam has been woven into the fabric of our country since its founding.” [...]

"Nothing You Say Will Convince Me"

"Nothing You Say Will Convince Me"

In my previous article (“A Seismic Shift in Eschatology Has Begun”), the letter writer begs the question by assuming dispensationalism is true, biblically foundational, and has a long and respected historical pedigree. He doesn’t argue for these positions; he simply states them as fundamental, self-evident truths. His arguments, such as they are, are similar to those used by evolutionists, global [...]

The 'Noble Lie' of Modern Ethics

The 'Noble Lie' of Modern Ethics

If with God all things are possible, then without Him all things are permissible. Few materialistic sophisticates want to believe that there is no justice and everything is permissible. They don’t want to believe in moral anarchy so they create a “moral fiction.” Loyal D. Rue, a professor of religion and philosophy at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, is honest enough to admit, given his materialis [...]

"Avoid such men as these..."

"Avoid such men as these..."

“Do not give your opponent any reason to reject your position other than the position itself” — Gary DeMar In the waning years of Israel’s Old Covenant system that was in the process of passing away (Heb. 8:13), Christians were being attacked on all sides. Some of the opposition was coming from the Roman government but most of it was brought on by “wolves” who had entered the flock of the New Cove [...]

You’re a White Supremacist If You Don’t Believe in Evolution

You’re a White Supremacist If You Don’t Believe in Evolution

The Political Left is all about redefinition. For example, Critical Race Theory (CRT) is said to be (and is) “an academic theory mostly taught at the grad-student level.” But CRT has evolved into something like Frankenstein’s monster that was pieced together from the dead. The latest example of CRT thinking is the claim that the “Denial of Evolution Is a Form of White Supremacy.” The author of the [...]

Gay Agenda Goes Full Dominionist

Gay Agenda Goes Full Dominionist

Listen to the podcast about this topic. On July 4th, Hobby Lobby took out full-page ads in multiple newspapers featuring Bible verses “along with numerous, pro-Christian, pro-Bible quotes from our Founding Fathers and other key leaders in our history. According to a headline on the popular gay atheist blogsite, Joe My God, ‘Hobby Lobby Goes Full Dominionist in July 4th Ad.’” “Democratic legislator [...]

Do All to the Glory of God... but how?

Do All to the Glory of God... but how?

by John Livingston The Apostle Paul said, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31). His command is comprehensive. His point was that, even in the very mundane things we do every day, we should be bound by the desire to glorify God. Our redemption in Jesus is total: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. [...]

A Frenchman's and a Supreme Court Justice’s Definition of ‘Christian America’

A Frenchman's and a Supreme Court Justice’s Definition of ‘Christian America’

Here’s a historical factoid about what our nation considered valuable at one time. How times have changed: After the attack on Pearl harbor, Secret Service Agent Harry Neal was tasked with transferring “priceless historical documents” to a secure facility away from Washington, D.C. After meeting with librarian Archibald MacLeish at the Library of Congress, Neal orchestrated the logistics of how th [...]

America's Christian Heritage: Fact or Fiction?

America's Christian Heritage: Fact or Fiction?

On July 4th of this year, Hobby Lobby ran newspaper ads that included the Bible verse “Blessed is the Nation whose God is the Lord” and was titled “One Nation Under God” and included numerous references of America’s religious and Christian influence. Hobby Lobby has been placing similar ads on US holidays since 1995. As usual, atheists went ballistic, especially the Freedom From Religion Foundatio [...]

The Reversal of Creation and a Covenantal Refining

The Reversal of Creation and a Covenantal Refining

The only way to grasp the significance of Peter’s de-creation language in 2 Peter 3 is to study similar language found in the Old Testament since that’s Peter’s reference point. In Micah 1:1, a prophetic word was revealed: “to Micah of Moresheth in the days of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.” Micah’s prophecy isn’t about a time in the dista [...]

Answering the Objections of the Scoffers

Answering the Objections of the Scoffers

(Note: This is a continuation of a previous article. For Part One, click here to read “The Magical Bible Verse That’s Used to Nullify 100 Others”) We need to understand the immediate context of 2 Peter 3. The entire argument over when the events Peter describes take place comes down to defining the last days, the identity of the scoffers, the expectation of Peter’s audience, the consistent definit [...]

The Magical Bible Verse that’s Used to Nullify 100 Others

The Magical Bible Verse that’s Used to Nullify 100 Others

The following is from Jerry Jenkins, the co-author of the Left Behind prophecy series: God has a different economy of time than we do. He wrote in the Bible 2,000 years ago that the end was soon or imminent, and that we should watch and wait. We’ve been doing that all these years. The Bible also says that to God, 1,000 years is as a day and a day is as 1,000 years [2 Peter 3:8]. [...]