Guest article by Robert E. Cruickshank, Jr Daniel E. Harden (Editor) He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; Many will see and fear and will trust in the Lord. -The Psalmist[2] Right now, the Church rules the nations of the world. We and we alone have been given power and dominion, and if we don’t like the way things are going, we have only ourselves to blame. [...]
Part One of Two. Gary is interviewed by Rick Welch from The Burros of Berea podcast about his book, The Case for America’s Christian Heritage. 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 fro [...]
In the December 2023 issue of Ligonier’s Tabletalk devotional, Gene Edward Veith has a helpful article titled “Catechized by Culture.” Presbyterians are big on catechisms. They mostly deal with fundamental biblical doctrines. For example, the first question of the Shorter Catechism of the Westminster Standards is “What is the chief end of man?” Vieth supplies the answer: “Man’s chief end is to glo [...]
Gary answers a listener question about the history of the “Rapture” and the vision in 1830 of a young girl named Margaret MacDonald. Why is it that not a single sermon, address, or discussion in the book of Acts mentions the supposed rapture of the Church? Over a period of nearly 40 years, no one brings up this supposedly crucial prophetic event. There is no mention of an any-moment “r [...]
Does the number 666 refer to someone in John’s day? If so, who could it be? Revelation implies that there was a king who was alive when John saw and wrote down what was revealed to him: “Here is the mind which has wisdom.[1] The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits,[2] and they are seven kings; five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must rema [...]
Most of us have heard of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), a film about a naïve Senator who ends up taking on the political establishment. It’s a reminder that there’s nothing new under the political sun. It stars Jimmy Stewart and Jean Arthur and was directed by Frank Capra who also directed Stewart in It’s a Wonderful Life. It’s one of AMC’s Top 100 films. It was not popular with the politica [...]
For many centuries, it’s been the belief of the church that the world is waiting for a wholesale conversion of Israel that will transform the world. You can find this view in the Westminster Larger Catechism, Question and Answer 191. Romans 11:15 is often interpreted this way: “For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?” Not all [...]
Gary responds to a recent interview between Glenn Beck and Max Lucado about the state of the world and the war between Israel and Hamas where Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39 are brought up. When Russia invaded Ukraine, we were told that the Gog and Magog war of Ezekiel 38 and 39 was being fulfilled. When Hamas attacked Israel from Gaza, again the Gog and Magog war was being fulfilled. For nearly 1600 y [...]
Any time the liberal media want to disparage the right side of the political spectrum, they call on a pool of go-to guys and gals to make their case for them. It’s not news reporting; it’s ideological position marketing. One of those groups is the hard-left and anti-Christian Southern Poverty Law Center. The SPLC is in the money raising business for every known and unknown left-wing cause. I [...]
Gary discusses the historical conditions and motivations behind The Christian Life and Character of the Civil Institutions of the United States. When B.F. Morris began work on his book, American Christians were retreating from Bible-based involvement in social action, education, intellectual pursuits, the shaping of culture, and political thought and action. Many in the old “main-line” Protestant [...]
The Christian’s view of the future determines how he lives, plans, and works in the present for the future. Even during Israel’s captivity under Babylonian rule, the nation’s darkest hour, the people were told to plan and build for the future: “Build houses and live in them; and plant gardens, and eat their produce. Take wives and become the fathers of sons and daughters, and take wives for your s [...]
Gary responds to a recent article by Dr. Michael Brown that claims the promises made to Israel in Joshua 21 are not the fullness of what God was promising to the Jews. There is not a single verse in the New Testament that supports the claim that there is prophetic significance in Israel’s restoration as a nation. Beyond A.D. 70, Israel as a nation plays no prophetic role. The New Testament only ad [...]
Over time, the Pledge of Allegiance has changed. The original Pledge read as “I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” The word “to” was added before “the Republic” in October for the public recitation. This is the only difference from the original published version. “My flag” was changed to “the flag” in 1924 [...]
Does it matter if we live fearfully or hopefully? Very much so, as Gary points out in this important talk from several years ago. In applying all the Bible to all of life, those “dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1) must have a “new heart” and a “new spirit” so they can rightly understand God’s Word and the world He created for our use (1 Cor. 1:18–25). The “heart of stone” must be removed and [...]
Gary discusses Dwight Wilson’s 1977 book, Armageddon Now. As a premillennialist himself, Wilson was able to see clearly the many mistaken prophecies of his own tradition. The doctrine of the clock of prophecy is central to dispensational theology. But what no paperback dispensationalist prophecy book of the This Time, Armageddon Really Is Near! variety ever discusses is that orthodox dispens [...]
I’ve always said that prophetic views have real world consequences. This is especially true when it comes to popular prophecy beliefs and their relation to prophetic inevitabilities. When Jesus told His disciples that the temple would be destroyed before their generation passed away, He issued a warning. Leave the city. The final warning was when Jerusalem was surrounded by armies (Luke 21:20). Th [...]
The Dispensational system has a horrific future in store for Jewish people living in Israel. What does the Bible say about the future of Israel as it relates to the question of Jerusalem’s prophetic significance? The Old Testament teaches that Israel was taken into captivity in two parts: first, the northern kingdom by the Assyrians in 722 BC, and then the southern kingdom by the Babylonians betwe [...]
Gary answers the perennial charge of “replacement theology,” a phrase that is designed to end debate by those who teach that the church and Israel are distinct and separate. Israel’s spiritual destiny is the same as it is for non-Israelites: Repent and believe in Jesus! No one said anything about a delay in the promises that had been made to Israel centuries ago. In fact, Peter clearly [...]
A daily double: an article and a podcast! The article is from the July 1991 issue of James Jordan’s Biblical Horizons newsletter. It shows how Jordan’s thinking and views of the whole debate over ancient and modern Jews and the state of Israel changed from his previous views that essentially followed the Puritans and the Westminster Divines. It is vital that Christians understand this [...]
Gary discusses an article from the Christianity and Civilization series about politics, Christians, and activism. In Genesis 1:1, God set up two realms, heaven and earth. The goal of history is not for earth to be forsaken, but for heaven to impress its pattern on earth. “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, ” we pray. The duality of heaven and earth is to be resolved, e [...]
