Salvation By Grace

Off to Chattanoga I go

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Jim) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 02:22:00 +0000

Just a quick note to say that I'm leaving tomorrow (Tues. March 8) in order to attend Truth Matters Men's Conference for the rest of the week. I'll be back Saturday afternoon, with Elder Tillman in tow, in preparation for next Sunday's ordination service.

SO, for all of you folk who might send email, don't be surprised if my response is slower than usual. Whenever I go away for a few days I always come home to a pile of messages to sort through. It'll take a few days to play catch-up.

If everything goes according to plan (and really, how often does that actually happen?), I'll be bringing home audio from the conference to convert to mp3 and post on the conference website, found here:

http://www.sovereigngracebibleconference.org/

I hope everyone has a great week and REMEMBER TURN YOUR CLOCKS FORWARD next Saturday night. Otherwise, you'll be late for church!

Brethren, pray for us. Tim and I will be traveling together, but the weather reports call for rain. That makes the drive less fun. And pray that the conference will be fruitful and that the fellowship will be sweet.

The Mathematic Value of 1000

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Jim) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 20:00:00 +0000

This past Friday I recorded a response to Gary DeMar's YouTube video concerning the number 1000 in Revelation 20. In that video, Gary said, "The use of the number thousand in Revelation 20 is interesting because of the way thousand is used elsewhere in Scripture." Then Gary provided three examples from the Old Testament where the word "thousand" is used less-than-literally. He concluded that, given such evidence, the number "thousand" in Revelation 20 is meant to be understood in a similar, non-literal way. But, I wondered -- and you should too -- why those three examples ought to have greater weight than the hundreds of other references to "thousand" in the Old Testament.

Well, last night as we were teaching our way through the book of Numbers, we came across the passage below, describing the dividing of the plunder Israel brought home after defeating the Midianites. It's a passage where the word "thousand" occurs repeatedly as the animals and people are counted. At first glance, it might seem like an insignificant bit of accounting. But pay attention to the details because they include a vital bit of information that helps us understand the meaning of "thousand" in the Bible.

"Levy a tax for the LORD from the men of war who went out to battle, one in five hundred of the persons and of the cattle and of the donkeys and of the sheep; take it from their half and give it to Eleazar the priest, as an offering to the LORD. From the sons of Israel's half, you shall take one drawn out of every fifty of the persons, of the cattle, of the donkeys and of the sheep, from all the animals, and give them to the Levites who keep charge of the tabernacle of the LORD." Moses and Eleazar the priest did just as the LORD had commanded Moses. Now the booty that remained from the spoil which the men of war had plundered was 675,000 sheep, and 72,000 cattle, and 61,000 donkeys, and of human beings, of the women who had not known man intimately, all the persons were 32,000. The half, the portion of those who went out to war, was as follows: the number of sheep was 337,500, and the LORD'S levy of the sheep was 675; and the cattle were 36,000, from which the LORD'S levy was 72; and the donkeys were 30,500, from which the LORD'S levy was 61; and the human beings were 16,000, from whom the LORD'S levy was 32 persons. Moses gave the levy which was the LORD'S offering to Eleazar the priest, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. As for the sons of Israel's half, which Moses separated from the men who had gone to war-- now the congregation's half was 337,500 sheep, and 36,000 cattle, and 30,500 donkeys, and the human beings were 16,000. (Numbers 31:28-46)

Notice that this passage is full of math. And it's accurate math. For instance, half of 32,000 is 16,000, 1/500th of which is 32. These people were skilled at counting and using numbers. But, pay attention to the math concerning the number 1000. Twice, in dividing 1000, the outcome is 500. Half of 675,000 sheep equals 337,500. And half of 61,000 donkeys is 30,500.

What's my point? This passage plainly tells us that 1000 equals 500 times 2. That's mathematic certainty concerning the common meaning of 1000 in the Old Testament.

So, why didn't Gary DeMar consider these passages when he was telling us what 1000 meant in Revelation 20? His system won't allow it. The simple reality is that the Bible uses the term 1000 literally and mathematically far more frequently than it uses it to express any lack-of-specificity. If we just do a quick survey of how it is used throughout the Bible, it's plain that Gary was cherry picking and overemphasizing certain texts in order to draw his predetermined conclusion. And that, my friends, is no way to "do" theology.

Thanks for listening closely!

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Jim) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 18:23:00 +0000

Just a quick shout out and thank-you to all the keen-eared folk who caught my mistake and pointed out that I misspoke in the new audio Q&A concerning the thousand years. When I meant to say, "How did John use the number thousand?" I actually said, "How did John use the number twenty?" I had just referenced Revelation 20 and that number got stuck on my tongue. But, it's fixed now. Digital editing is a wonderful thing.

It's pretty bad when even your speech has typos.

NEW! Audio Q&A

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Jim) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 17:55:00 +0000

So, here's the deal. Typing takes time. And the volume of email we get at GCA continues growing. So, we're experimenting with something new: Audio Q&A's. Since I have the recording technology here in my home, it's a logical extension of what we do.

Not every mp3 we post in our Audio Q&A section will necessarily be a response to a listener question. I hope to use this format to respond to videos or sermons that pique my interest. And that's what I did on the first entry, called "A Thousand Means A Thousand." It's a response to a YouTube video by Gary Demar, a noted preterist author and commentator.

You can find our new Audio Q&A section here:

http://www.gcaarchive.com/audioqa.shtml

Or, you can just click the "Listen" link on our homepage. There's also a link to it from our main Q&A page. And, as always, your comments and feedback are welcome.

Two bald theologs named James

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Jim) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 01:33:00 +0000

This past weekend I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. James White, the man to whom I am most frequently compared. Usually, the comparisons are of a theological nature. People who listen to our podcasts often listen to his as well (www.aomin.org). But, last Friday we were both in the same place at the same time and we now have photographic proof that the comparisons are not merely theological, but quite physical.

I'm grateful that we had the opportunity to meet. James is one of my apologetics heroes and as I shook his hand I said, "I just wanted to say thank you for all the things I've learned, borrowed, and stolen from you." We had time for a couple of very cordial chats and I thoroughly enjoyed his presentations.

I first became aware of Dr. White about 15 or 16 years ago when I was part of a chat group hosted by Sound of Grace (www.soundofgrace.com). We were in the middle of a fierce debate about the transmission of the New Testament text and the controversies surrounding "King James Only-ism." One of the members of the chat group invited James to join us and present his research and opinions on the subject. I was immediately struck by the lucidity of his arguments and his ability to communicate clearly and concisely. After he was done the group voted and Dr. White won the day.

It was years later when I became aware of his website and Internet program, The Dividing Line. That led to downloading his various debates and lectures. These days, he's a YouTube power user, uploading videos regularly that deal with various topics: Islam, Catholicism, Mormonism, Calvinism, and defenses of the historic Christian faith. He goes by the name of "DrOakley1689" on YouTube and you can find his channel here:

Dr White on YouTube

I've called his Dividing Line program a number of times over the years (although not too recently, come to think of it). I've always enjoyed our exchanges. One of his most attractive qualities is his willingness to laugh. I think it's important that theologians take their subject matter very seriously, while being cautious not to take themselves too seriously.

Even though I've learned the hard way not to hold my heroes up too high, I'm always grateful when I have a chance to meet them, share a bit of time, share the joy of our common faith, and remember how blessed we are that God continues to provide leaders and teachers in His church.

And besides, how can you not like guys who look like this?

Whom The World Cannot Receive | McClarty Mondays

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Jim) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 20:14:00 +0000

Lane Chaplin has begun posting "McClarty Monday" messages on YouTube (where he is able to post hour-long videos). It's up to Lane to decide which sermons he'll post and this week he chose our teaching on the Holy Spirit and Jesus' identification of the Spirit as "the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive."

Last week Lane posted our message, "Jesus Christ Teaches Limited Atonement," so it's clear that Lane is choosing the least-controversial messages he can find. :-)

Enjoy McClarty Mondays!

No Service @ GCA on January 31

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Jim) — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 20:49:00 +0000

Hello all GCA members who are here on Facebook.

I sent out an email, but I want to make sure I catch as many of you as possible.

This is a very rare event. It's been years since we've had to cancel a Sunday Service. However, I just spent a half hour de-icing my car and then I drove the treacherous route between here and GCA. The streets are passible, but not clear. But, our parking lot is a solid sheet of ice. The temperature today is going to top out at 28, then it's down to 8 degrees tonight, and a high of 28 again tomorrow. So things won't start thawing until Monday, when the temps will reach the mid-40's. My concern is for people attempting to navigate that lot by car or on foot. We would certainly end up with stuck and stranded cars as well as people slipping and sliding. It's not worth the risk. So, I called Jeff and Tom and we agreed that safety was the best policy this weekend.

Now, here's what we need to do. There's no guarantee that everyone will read their email today. So you need to call everyone you can think of who regularly attends GCA and remind them of our plans to stay home tomorrow morning. Or if you realize that someone is not on the email list, please forward this message to them. I would hate for anyone to brave the elements and discover that they're alone. So call each other this afternoon and let's make sure that everyone gets the message!

Thanks for your understanding and cooperation. Be safe. Stay warm. Pray for one another. And we'll see you next week.

Oh, and by the way, we're still meeting on Wednesday, so if you miss being in church, come join us then!

Grace and peace,

Jim

Jesus Christ Teaches Limited Atonement | McClarty Mondays

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Jim) — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 21:25:00 +0000

I have to thank Lane Chaplin for his continued efforts to spread the gospel of God's free and sovereign grace. His YouTube channel is one of the most popular theological channels on the web and he has decided to feature more sermons. So, a few weeks ago he informed me that he was going to start posting sermons from GCA on Mondays and sermons from AOMIN on Wednesdays. He's calling them "McClarty Mondays" and "White Wednesdays."

In an effort to avoid all controversy he began by posting a sermon I preached just prior to Christmas 2009 called "Jesus Christ Teaches Limited Atonement."

What a joy it is to have someone like Lane come alongside the ministry of GCA and support our efforts. I am in his debt.

Now, go listen -- and check out all the rest of Lane's content. Let's keep his YouTube channel busy and keep his numbers up so that he can continue posting hour-long videos.

You can watch the new YouTube video here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tddmj-mC4Mk

Or by clicking on the title of this post (above).

What I Don't Want For 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Jim) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 04:22:00 +0000

It’s already 12 days into the new year, 2010. I don’t usually make resolutions when the calendar changes. In fact, I don’t remember ever making new year’s resolutions. It’s just not in my emotional or psychological makeup, I suppose.

This year, however, I’ve been doing some thinking. As opposed to resolving to do particular things, I’ve been considering the things I no longer want in my life.

Here are the basic facts: I am now 54 years old. In my brain, I’m still about 24. The mirror leads to a form of cognitive dissonance. But, I’ve lived long enough to know a few things about myself. And I’ve grown weary of my most tenacious tendencies. So here is my 2010 list of things I no longer want:

My own way.

I spent a great deal of my life pursuing -- and pretty effectively attaining -- my wants and desires. Unfortunately, inasmuch as I’m a depraved person (a fact that I can prove with ample evidence), my wants and desires were equally depraved. And eventually the constant diet of fulfilled sinful desire became wearying and soul-stultifying.

As I look back, I’ve learned two important lessons. One: every bad, painful, horrid thing that ever happened to me, I didn’t see coming. And two: every truly good thing that has occurred in my life happened despite me. So, what is instantly clear is that I am not in control. And on those occasions where it appeared that I had some influence over the outcome of things, I always messed them up. So, why would I want control? Why would I want things to work my way?

Early on in my Christian conversion I was taught a wonderful guiding principle: God is too holy not to that which brings Him the greatest glory and He loves us too much not to do that which is for our greatest good. In other words, He’s going to do things His way whether we like it or not. That’s what sovereign providence is all about.

So, from 2010 onward, I want no more of my own way.

My own fame.

In my early 20’s I decided to move to Los Angeles. That decision was driven by the need to be famous. It was no longer sufficient to have people in the Detroit area know me, I wanted a national stage. And rock music was the vehicle that would take me there. I had performed for two seasons and toured Great Britain with the Houston All-City Symphony. I had played intimate jazz and “big band” swing. I had played in garage bands, club bands, marching bands, pit bands, and shows bands. But, rock’n’roll was like the express elevator to worldwide recognition. It was hard work. It was emotionally draining. But, it paid big dividends. And that was just fine with me.

But, as Christianity took hold in my heart and mind, thoughts of my own personal advancement and fame became increasingly upsetting and revolting. “How,” I began to wonder, “can Christ truly be ‘all and in all’ if I am constantly making sure there’s adequate room for me?”

I cannot save anyone. My death will not result in anyone else’s redemption. I am quite utterly imperfect. I cannot heal sickness, solve crises, prevent catastrophes, or bring the dead to life. All in all, I am hardly a person to be admired or imitated because, when it comes to the really important matters, I can only point to the One who actually matters. So then, why should I be famous? He should have all the fame because He has all the power. And I need Him far more than He needs me.

So, from 2010 onward, I want no more of my own fame.

My own art.

At one point in my life, I reveled in the notion that I was the quintessential “tortured artist.” My thoughts, emotions, and feelings were significant enough that they needed to be shared with the world. I wrote songs, I wrote poems, I wrote stories, I wrote ... well, I wrote about me. I basked in my unmitigated emotional depth and imaginary courage. As I was wont to say, “Hurt me; I’ll make it art.” If hubris had a cousin, I was it.

I have several folders and notebooks full of poems and scribblings. I took them out the other night and realized that it had been fully nine years since I’d written anything poetic. Self-expression seems vain ... in every meaning of the word.

Now whatever gifts God may have given me with which to communicate thoughts and ideas, I prefer to convey those thoughts and ideas that exalt Him for His great kindness to me, and those which “minister grace to the hearer.” (Eph. 4:29)

So, from 2010 onward, I want no more of my own art.

My own cleverness.

Sometimes, cleverness is its own reward. People gravitate to clever people who can devise inventions, turn a pithy phrase, or appear to be a few steps ahead of the madding crowd. Cleverness is also akin to sarcasm -- the ability to slice and dice others with a bit of witty repartee. For many years, my sharp tongue was the chief weapon in my arsenal of tools used to keep everyone at arm’s distance.

As I have aged, I have been cursed with the ability to remember all the verbally-bloodied victims I’ve left in my wake. And, successful in my attempt to keep people at a safe distance, I found myself alone. Cleverness is also its own worst enemy.

Christianity, by contrast, insists on putting the wellbeing of others ahead of our own. Christianity encourages us to keep a civil tongue and use kind words. Christianity is not about being clever, it’s about being a servant, about giving yourself away and investing in the fruitful outcome of others. That’s not done by wit. It’s done by humility. And no matter how clever I think my thoughts or words are, they are of absolutely no significance if they do not aid the Christian progress of the person who hears them.

So, from 2010 onward, I want no more of my own cleverness.

My own sinful passions.

As a human, I crave. I have deep, entrenched desires. There was a time when I thought my passion for the things of this world was noble. I was never more alive than when I was lunging headlong into my latest craving. I was “deep,” after all. I felt things more vividly and violently than most folk ... or, at least that’s how I saw myself. It made me unique and worth all the attention I was getting.

Consider Psalm 37:4 for a moment. It says, “Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart.” That’s a dangerous statement unless the Lord changes the desires of your heart. And that’s what has happened to me. The more I have learned to delight myself in the Lord, the more He has become my primary desire. And, sure enough, the more of Himself He reveals to me, the more I am delighted. Now my passion is for Him; His glory, His word, His worship, and His people.

One of the most amazing things about genuine conversion is that God does not suppress our emotions -- He redirects them. What was once self-love becomes brotherly love. What was once fleshly desire becomes Heavenly desire. What was once selfish passion becomes the desire to spread His word, to call sinners to repentance, and to help them see the One who is gracious, kind, patient, and altogether lovely.

So, from 2010 onward, I want no more of my own sinful passions.

What I deserve.

Through an act of amazing charity, I was recently given a set of drums. There was a time when I was defined by my ability to play drums and if I didn’t practice for at least three hours each day, I wasn’t alive. Playing drums was as natural as breathing. Although I used to own several drum kits, I haven’t owned any drums for fifteen years or more. When the kids were young and I was struggling financially, I had fallen behind on the house payments. I sold my last Pearl kit for exactly the amount it took to keep us in our house. Since then, I had been drum-less.

I told you that story to tell you this one. After I was given a beautiful set of Pearl drums -- my favorite, by the way -- I told a musician friend of mine about the remarkable circumstances that led to the gift. He said, “That’s great! You deserve them.” Those words hung in the air for a moment. Then I replied, “No, I don’t deserve them. And the last thing I want is what I deserve.”

You see, one essential element of a really advanced ego (trust me here, I’m an expert in this area) is the assumption that you deserve all the good things that come your way. And if something bad happens, it’s an aberration. That’s the sort of thinking that leads to questions like “Why do bad things happen to good people?”

The Bible declares that there are no good people. There are only sinners; enemies of God; haters of everything that is holy; wicked, depraved people. The proper question then is, “Why do good things happen to bad people?” And that’s the essence of grace.

What I deserve, it turns out, is hell forever. What I deserve is God’s eternal wrath. What I deserve is to be separated from Him permanently and perpetually. Fire, brimstone, torment -- that’s what I deserve.

But, what I’m promised is Heaven. Through no goodness on my part, as the result of no good works I’ve performed, but merely as a matter of God’s mercy, I will not receive what I deserve. I have received grace. I am receiving grace. I will receive grace.

So, from 2010 onward, the very, very last thing I ever want is what I deserve.

In summary.

Now here’s the great irony of God’s genius. As much as I do not want my own way, my way is inexorably becoming conformed to His way. In other words, I do not feel in any way cheated or short-changed. I am fulfilled and happy. Just as I grew tired of “my way,” He changed my way to suit His way and I most joyfully now pursue the way I find most pleasing -- His way.

As much as I am no longer interested in my own fame, I get great joy from seeing Him exalted. And though I could never have predicted it, GCA and Salvation By Grace have become widely known through the Internet. I receive wonderful letters and email from people who share their lives and testimonies with us. We hear from all corners of the globe and people tell us how their lives and faith have been enriched by listening and reading at our site. Honestly, it’s overwhelming and deeply gratifying. But this new-found recognition is not fame. It’s not a matter of ego. It’s God’s providential wisdom at work. He allowed me to bask in my own aggrandizement until I could smell ego a mile away. Once that smell was repugnant, He put me into His service. Then He let people know who we were and what we were about.

His ways are wonderful.

As much as I do not want my own art, God does not destroy the individuality of His people. He gifts His own with the abilities that are best suited to their place in His kingdom. I was given the gift to communicate. Being Irish, I’ve always thought of it as “the gift of gab.” When folk tell me that the Bible finally makes sense to them, or that I have helped them understand complex biblical concepts in a way that makes it simple and approachable, that’s just God turning my “art” to His glory. It’s no longer about self-expression. It’s about Heavenly-expression. Same ability, new purpose.

Cleverness, I suppose, falls into that same rubric. But, where I used to show off my own verbal and intellectual dexterity, my concern now is to show off God’s astounding wisdom and the limitless value of His word. It’s not about being clever; it’s about being clear, being precise, being a tool in the hands of a Master Craftsman.

As much as I do not want my own sinful passions, God has redirected my passion. He has not squelched it. Much as He used the temperament of Moses or the boldness of Peter, God has taken what was once debauched and turned it toward His holy purposes. Christianity has enlivened and enriched my passion, giving it a righteous purpose and restraining it from its unseemly past.

His grace is beyond comprehension.

And, as much as I do not want what I deserve, as Christ has been formed in my heart I want Him to receive everything that He deserves. He deserves a church that will recognize their status as His elect and beloved bride ... and act like it. He deserves to have His word revered, respected, and rightly handled. He deserves to be glorified through the eternal ages because of His finished, complete, fully-effective atoning work and the full salvation of His chosen people. He deserves to sit at the Father’s right hand and be lifted up above all names and all creation. He deserves to be worshiped and adored. He deserves the very best that His Father can prepare and give Him. And, I want Him to have it all.

Let me close this bit of new year’s observation by driving home one more vital point:

This is nothing like me.

Left to myself, I would always want my way, my fame, my art, my cleverness, and every sinful passion my evil heart could inspire. And I would be fully convinced that I deserved every moment of pleasure and egocentric gratification. That’s exactly what I’m like.

This small treatise is evidence of how effectively and sovereignly God has overcome and overwhelmed a wretch like me. I get no glory from it; nor have I earned any. He gets all the glory because He has done all the work, invested all the effort, and is fully responsible for any and all good results.

I am astounded at His grace.

I am secured by His mercy.

I am cradled in His love.

I am thankful.

I am humbled.

And I want Him more than I want myself.

Happy New Year.

Bragging on my daughter

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Jim) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 23:10:00 +0000

Okay, it's time to brag. I'm a very fortunate dad. I have great kids. And I'm not just being paternal here. They are really, truly, genuinely great. And we get along tremendously well, despite our years of home schooling together and the fact that they have to put up with me. And, speaking of home school, I remember the people who wondered whether James and Megan could get a sufficient education at home. Well, I feel quite justified these days. And that brings us to the subject of this particular bit of bragging.

My daughter just finished her fifth semester of college and today she got her grades. She has maintained her perfect 4.0 and has all of her honor's credits wrapped up so that she'll graduate with an Honor's Degree.

See? Good reason to brag. And I guess we can put the whole "Do home schoolers get a good education?" debate to rest.

So, I put this on my blog for two reasons. One: I love bragging on my terrific kids. And two: I want to publicly thank Megan for her devotion to her studies and for all her hard work.

I'm a proud dad.

Revised GCA Midweek Studies Schedule

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Jim) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 02:02:00 +0000

The "Wednesday Night Faithful" had a little powwow this evening and decided that we should suspend the midweek studies at GCA until after the first of the year. We have several regular attendees who are struggling with health issues, some are traveling, some are concentrating on finals, and everyone's busy with end-of-the-year plans and chores. So, since we were really only going to be meeting for two more weeks and then taking time off over the holidays, it was decided this evening that we would extend the holiday break and return January 6, 2010.

{Those poor Israelites ... we've left them under the influence of Balaam's trickery. But, they'll have to wait there until the new year rolls around.}

In the meantime, I'll be attempting to use the extra hours to finish several writing projects, I have another Theology Talk program in mind, and maybe -- just maybe -- I'll get caught up on my email correspondence. I can always hope.

Learning the 10 Commandments

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Jim) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:11:00 +0000

Back when I was teaching a Sunday School class in Franklin, I discovered that most of the teenage kids could not recite the Ten Commandments or the books of the Bible. Regardless of your particular theological bent, those seemed pretty fundamental to me. So we discussed why it was that none of them knew such basic info despite being raised in church. Not only had no one ever taken the time to teach them, no one had taken the time to teach the kids how to learn and how to remember (one of my chief complaints with standard outcome-based education).

So, utilizing a standard mnemonic technique, I made up a quick way for the kids to not only memorize the commandments, but to be able to recall them backward, forward, or from the middle. Later, I used a more complex device to teach them the books of the New Testament. I recently ran into one of those kids (who is now an adult with his own kids) who said he still uses that technique instantly whenever his pastor tells him to turn to a book in the Bible.

Anyway, I told you all that back-story for a reason. On Wednesday nights we've been studying the Pentateuch -- the first five books of the Bible. And, of course, we came across the Ten Commandments. To my surprise, most of the adults in the room, while being familiar with them, did not really know the numbers and commands in order. So, I introduced them to the memory trick I had been teaching kids.

Of course, the digital recorder was running so that moment was posted on our website as part of the weekly lesson. And Phil at Reformed Voices grabbed that portion of the recording and made a YouTube video from it. That led to our being contacted by the folk at NotablePraise.com, asking if they could develop that teaching method into tools and videos for very young kids. I gave them permission to use it, with the caveat that they let me know when it was finished.

Well, this morning I got an email with a link to the site and I wanted to share it with all of you. Go have a look:

Notable Praise 10 Commandments

Now honestly, how cool is that?

If I've learned anything this past eight years, it's that we never know what's going to happen with the teaching once it's out there on the 'net. Sometimes it takes on a life of its own and goes to places we would never have expected. This is one of those times.

Thanks to Ahava for her efforts and I'm humbled to be part of their effort to teach God's word to children.

Update on mom

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Jim) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:10:00 +0000

Thanks for all the prayers and moral support.

I just spoke with my sister and the morning tests (angiogram) have revealed that mom did not have a genuine heart attack, despite the symptoms. She does have moderate blockage in two upper arteries, which caused an A-fib. My understanding is that the blood was being forced between the two upper chambers, being hampered by the blockages, which caused the weakness and heart attack-like symptoms.

The doctor said it was "a good report." They are going to treat her with meds: blood thinners (aspirin), Lipator for her high cholesterol, and another med to regular her heart rate. Mom said she's feeling well and she will likely return home tomorrow. So, we're still planning to drive down for Thanksgiving.

Thank God for His mercy!

Prayers For My Mother

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Jim) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 03:34:00 +0000

I was informed this evening that my mother suffered a heart attack last night. She's had an irregular heartbeat for a while. Apparently she's been having difficulty for the last few days and could not climb the steps in her house without becoming exhausted. Last night she knew she was in trouble. But, being the hard-headed German/English "set your jaw" sort of woman she is, she gathered her important papers and laid them out on the kitchen table (wouldn't want anyone to have to dig around for those), unlocked her front door and turned off the alarm so they wouldn't have any trouble getting in when she called 911, picked up her portable phone and sat awake all night hoping it would pass.

Well, this morning she called the doctor and was instructed to go immediately to the emergency room (I chastised her this evening and asked her why she needed to be told that). She drove herself. I mean, after all, this a 76-year-old woman who last year fell down a flight of stairs onto a concrete floor in the dark and still managed to gather her broken arm and protruding bones and climb back up to inform her brother that she needed help prior to going into shock.

Anyway, the hospital immediately took her in and her heart rate was three times the normal rate. They ran some quick tests and confirmed the heart attack. They gave her meds that brought her rate back to normal and she's resting with oxygen and heart meds. When I spoke to her this evening she was in good spirits. When I asked her why she didn't bother to inform her children, she said, "I have a good reason. It's called denial."

That's my mom. Her mom died at 92 and her grandmother died at 99. So she is convinced she still has lots of years left in her. And I hope that's true.

Those of you who know her also know that GCA could not exist in its present form had it not been for her support and generosity. One of the great joys of my life has been seeing my mother grow from relative agnosticism to a loving embrace of the teaching of God's free and sovereign grace. She is one of those people who will simply step from life into life.

So, please keep her in your prayers. After all, no matter how old you get, no one can take the place of your mother.

Thanks for asking

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Jim) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 02:55:00 +0000

As people have been listening to last Sunday morning's message ("I Chose You Out Of The World"), they heard that I was preaching from a chair due to a back injury. I've received very kind messages and inquiries concerning my situation, so here's the story.

I've always had back trouble as a result of years hunched over drums, pianos, mixing consoles, etc. And I've had a long, mostly-beneficial relationship with chiropractors. As the years have progressed my spine has become more problematic and I have a degenerative disk in my lower lumbar (insert your own degenerate joke here). I first injured it when Megan was quite young and was asleep in the back seat of the car. I attempted to lift her by bending down over her, clutching her, and attempting to straighten up. Big error. It healed up eventually and then several Halloweens ago I was walking with Megan, my neighbor Jamie, and his young daughter Katie. We were at the back of the neighborhood and Katie was exhausted. Jamie was attempting to carry her, but it was going to be a long walk. So, I told them to stay put and I went jogging through the neighborhood to get my car. When I reached the street on the opposite side of my house, I cut through the yard and jumped the fence into my yard. Big mistake number two. When I landed, I could feel the crush of my spine.

You'd think, after those events, that I'd learn my lesson. But, being a male, I only learn the hard way. Two, or maybe three, summers ago some friends brought me a bicycle. They also let me try out their new three-wheel bike, which was very cool. When they need to put the three wheeler back in the van, I gingerly grabbed the back end and lifted. Big mistake number three. You're out.

Since then, it's been years of maintenance and carefulness. These days, the simplest things can set it off. Last year, just prior to my birthday, I kicked my pajama bottoms off. Result: three days incapacitated. Once time I stepped out of my Honda CR-V and my foot hit the concrete too hard. Same result. Last month, Tom had to preach for me because I stood up incorrectly. And last Saturday I simply bent forward in the shower to wash my leg -- a very common move for me -- and I felt it go. Then I compounded the problem by suddenly jerking myself upward because the weakness in my back made me feel like I was going to plunge headlong to the shower floor. The combination of movements left me crumpled on the floor anyway. I spent a bit of time explaining to the universe that this was not fair because I hadn't even done anything and then I realized that I had better get out of the shower and prepare a few things before the inevitable pain and paralysis set in. An hour later I was completely immobilized by the pain.

As you know from listening to the message, I also realized that my most recent episodes seemed to fall on Saturdays. So, confident that Satan had overplayed his hand, I hobbled to GCA on Sunday morning and preached anyway. Sometimes you just have to poke the devil in the eye.

Yesterday I visited my chiropractor, whom I like very much. I knew it was going to be extremely uncomfortable, but I also knew I would not heal until that vertebrae was back in place. It was tough, but he got it moved. Then I went to the doctor because of the high degree of inflammation. I am deathly allergic to synthetic anti-inflammatory meds, so I had to get a steroid shot, which has been very helpful in the past. Of course, the doc also prescribed pain pills and muscle relaxers, which I'm very cautious about using. And I was given something new to try: Lidoderm pads that are worn externally over the inflamed area to help with the pain. Today was my first day with the pads, but they seem to have helped a bit. Whereas yesterday I was in non-stop pain, today I was a bit more mobile. Thank goodness for Megan, my chauffer and care-taker.

So, tonight Tom stood in for me at GCA. And I am most grateful for his willingness and commitment. I'm glad that GCA is a strong enough church that it can continue worshiping God with or without me.

I'll leave you with this appropriate story. When I was attending the church in Franklin our pastor would occasionally take weekend speaking engagements and be out of town on Sunday mornings. One particular Sunday I was by the front door where the pastor's wife was greeting people. A visitor came through the door and she introduced herself, adding, "I'm sorry my husband is not here this morning." The visitor asked, "Yes, but is his God here?"

That's the right attitude. We gather to worship God and study His word. And He deserves His worship regardless of the trials and pains of this life. I cannot help but think of the Apostle Paul who asked God three times to remove his "thorn in the flesh," which Paul identified as "a messenger of Satan, sent to buffet me." But, God replied, "My grace is sufficient for you."

It's been a rough few days. But, God's grace is sufficient.

Thanks again for all the good words, kind comments, and prayers for a speedy recovery. I love you all very much.

John Piper discusses the Millennium

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Jim) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 18:24:00 +0000

I like eschatology. It's a subject I've spent years and years studying and I've taught extensively on the subject. Not only have I written a book in defense of the pretribulation rapture (found here) but our website includes 112 hour-long messages on the topic (found here).

So, it wasn't surprising that I received several notices, emails, and Facebook links informing me of a roundtable discussion on the subject of the Millennium, hosted and moderated by John Piper. In Piper's own words:
___________________________

"On September 27, 2009, Desiring God and Bethlehem College & Seminary hosted “An Evening on Eschatology” at the Downtown Campus of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis. It was attended by about 800 people who sat in the darkened sanctuary while six cameras were trained on the brightly lit roundtable where the four participants sat in a circle.

For two hours I moderated, more or less, a discussion among Jim Hamilton (professor of New Testament at Southern Seminary in Louisville), Sam Storms (pastor of Bridgeway Church in Oklahoma City), and Doug Wilson (pastor of Christ Church, Moscow, Idaho).

The discussion was intended to focus on the relationship between the thousand-year reign of Christ mentioned in Revelation 20 and the return of Christ to this earth visibly and physically to reign. This thousand years is usually called “the millennium.” Revelation 20 is the only place in the Bible where the length of this period is mentioned.
...

Premillennialism (represented by Jim Hamilton): The return of Christ happens before (pre-) the thousand-year reign of Christ, which is a reign of the risen Christ on the earth.

Amillennialism (represented by Sam Storms): The return of Christ happens after the thousand-year reign, a reign that occurs in heaven, in the intermediate state, and not upon the earth. Those who have died in faith and entered into the presence of Christ share his rule and reign during the current church age in which we now live.

Postmillennialism (represented by Doug Wilson): The return of Christ happens after (post-) the thousand-year reign, which corresponds to the Christian age, and the reign of Christ from heaven leads the church to triumph by and through the gospel to such an extent that the Great Commission will be successfully fulfilled, and the Christian faith will pervade all the cultures of all the nations of men. All Christ's enemies will be subdued in this way, with the exception of death, which he will destroy by his coming.

None of the views insists that the “thousand years” is an exact number, but all of them allow that it may be symbolic of a very long time (from a human standpoint).
_________________________

Now that last statement should raise several red flags. None of the views represented in the discussion insists that the 1000 years is an exact number. That's a problem. Why wasn't there anyone at the table who DID believe that?

But, more to the point: I watched the entire two hour program, which is being highly-touted for the civility and cooperative tone that was demonstrated between the participants. And they're to be commended for their efforts and for the charitable way in which the discussion and debate were handled. But, in the entire two hours, these four intelligents men talked about eschatology and never once was the word "Israel" even uttered.

Hmmm ...

Would it have been so difficult to find a consistent futurist / dispensationalist to join in the discussion? Or was the exclusion of that view purposeful? I'm sure John MacArthur's camp could have provided an able defender. Did they assume that in order to keep the talk civil they needed to avoid interaction with someone who took the words on the page "too literally"? I don't know. It just seemed very odd (if not purposeful) that every other view was represented to the exclusion of the one that is arguably the most popular.

I wonder, how can you talk extensively about this subject and fail to mention the primary central issue that lays at the heart of the whole Biblical presentation? What about passages like:

"Behold, days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them," declares the LORD. But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declares the LORD, "I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

Thus says the LORD, Who gives the sun for light by day And the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, Who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar; The LORD of hosts is His name: "If this fixed order departs From before Me," declares the LORD, "Then the offspring of Israel also will cease From being a nation before Me forever." Thus says the LORD, "If the heavens above can be measured And the foundations of the earth searched out below, Then I will also cast off all the offspring of Israel For all that they have done," declares the LORD. (Jer. 31:31-33, 35-37)

Isn't that even worth a mention?

Or how about:

For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery--so that you will not be wise in your own estimation--that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, "THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB. THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS." From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God's choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. (Rom. 11:25-29, caps in original NASB)

Isn't that something that needs some serious consideration in an eschatological discussion? Even if you're only going to offer the standard amillennial interpretion of Romans 11, shouldn't it at least come up?

But no. Not a word. Passages that clearly and obviously referred to Israel were simply assumed to be referring to the church and discussion moved on.

If you'd like to see and hear the discussion for yourself, you can find it here, along with John Piper's comments on the evening:

http://www.desiringgod.org/Blog/2038_audio_and_video_for_eschatology_conversation/

Sadly, as much as I looked forward to watchin git, the video left me feeling frustrated and the whole discussion seemed incomplete.

I told Jeff today that I would love to respond to the various points that were made by the participants in this forum. Perhaps another Theology Talk is in the offing. It would take a real effort to unravel the assumptions and interpretive gymnastics demonstrated by each position. Still, I'd love to try.

On a similar note: In an earlier post I referred to Sam Storms as a post-millennialist. It's clear from this discussion that he is ammillenial with several areas of agreement with the post-mil hermeneutic. On his website he appears to defend the post-mil position, hence my confusion. But, I did want to make sure and clear up that detail.

Okay, go listen, read, watch ... and think about eschatological things!

THEOLOGY TALK 2

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Jim) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 04:18:00 +0000

The latest installment of Theology Talk is finally finished and posted to our website. You can find it here:

Theology Talk 2

This time I was joined by Alex Franzone and we chatted for nearly four hours about the often misunderstood and always controversial topic of "Free Will."

Enjoy!

I missed Sunday morning!

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Jim) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 03:45:00 +0000

When I was younger, I had no idea what older folk meant when they said things like, "Getting old is not for wimps." Now I know. It was 2:00 a.m. Sunday morning when I realized there was no way I was going to make it to GCA to preach. It's been five years (yes, five years) since I've missed a Sunday morning. I wasn't always preaching, but I was always there. If I was sick, sore, bruised, bent ... anything short of utterly incapacitated, I was there. Until this morning.

So here's what happend. I forgot. That's right. I forgot. I forgot that I was 54 and that I had been very careful and methodical over the last year to make sure my back healed and became stronger. I've been exercising, stretching, seeing the chiropractor, doing what needed to be done to get healthy again. And I've been doing quite well, thank you very much. Then yesterday, I forgot.

I was connecting an antenna to my daughter's television. Easy enough. I was down on my right knee with my left leg bent in front of me, leaning forward to plug it into the power strip. Fine. The little light went on, letting me know that everything was working correctly and all that was left to do was to stand up.

Now, a smart man would have taken a moment to think about how he got up off his knee. But it turned out that I was a thoughtless man in a hurry. As young, agile men do, I tossed my arms upward, jolting my torso up a few inches, pushed with my left leg, and swung my right leg up under me -- well, that was the plan anyway. Instead, I felt my lower back twist, my left leg gave up completely, and I ended up in a heap in the middle of my daughter's bedroom floor. The first thought that popped into my brain was, "Oh, this isn't just going to hurt today." The second was, "AAAAUUUUGGGHHHH ---- JAMES!!!!!" Fortunately, my hulking brute of a son was home and he came to lift his ailing father off the carpet.

Providentially, a few weeks ago Tom and I had been together, visiting a midweek service at Mt. Gilead Missionary Baptist Church in Nashville (where my friend, Elder Roderick Glatt is the pastor), and at the end of the evening I reminded Tom that he was next person up to bat if I was ever unable to preach. He said he had an idea what he'd talk about and I encouraged him to get his notes together, put them in a folder and have them standing by because .... well, you never know.

So, I called Tom last night to forewarn him that I was hurt. He knows how I am. He knows that I'll show up if there's any way possible. We speculated about preaching from a chair. He offered to pick me up and drive me. But, I adjured him to be ready. I know that this type of injury is usually more painful the day after the inital shock to the system. And sure enough, today I was barely able to hobble.

But, here's the interesting part. At 2:00 a.m. I had peace. I frequently remind the folk at GCA that it's not "the Jim show." It's a church whose purpose is the service and worship of God, regardless of my condition or presence. And I was comforted knowing that the congregation was in good hands. There's no one at GCA who goes back further with me, or who knows my teaching more thoroughly, than Tom. I could rest, trusting that God had everything under control and that Christ would not gather His people without feeding and nurturing them.

And that's how it worked. I just heard and posted Tom's message to the website. And he taught on -- of all things -- peace and contentment. You see, when you worship a truly sovereign God, peace and contentment are "part of the package." If you worship a God who is waiting for you to exercise yourself so He can judge and assess the value of your work, there's no peace and certainly no contentment. There's only fear, doubt, and the spectre of failure. But, our God is indeed Sovereign. And He worked through Tom this morning. No worries.

I'm so grateful for GCA. I'm grateful for the men, women, and children who gather together to worship God, love each other, and demonstrate that the Christian faith is still alive and well. I'm grateful for the lattitude they give me to chase all my theological rabbits. And I'm grateful for the fact that I can lay down when I need to, fully confident that they'll carry on until I'm back on my feet.

So, thanks Tom! Thanks for being my friend for 25 years. And thanks for watching over the flock this morning. And thanks for the good message.

As for me, I'm a blessed man .... wrenched back and all. A few days of mending -- and being thoughtful -- should get me moving again.

(Now, where's that tube of Biofreeze?)

Replying to a post-mil argument

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Jim) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 18:54:00 +0000

Since I began connecting with folk via Facebook I haven't been utilizing this blog as regularly as I once did. But, since the blog is more "permanent" than the fleeting posts that fly through FB, I plan to make more use of this blog (which also appears on FB). One way I plan to use it is to share some email conversations that I think will be helpful and edifying to our larger listening/reading audience, but which (for whatever reason) will not be developed into Q&A articles for the website. And that brings us to this particular email.

The email included a request to respond to a common bit of argumentation in favor of the post-millennial position. First, I'll post the original email and then my reply. Here's the email:
__________________________________________

Hi Jim:

Hope all is well with you and your flock. I saw this on our reformed message board and I wondered if you could offer a response? It reads --

If you are a Premillennialist, whether Dispensational or not, there are several things with which you must reckon:

• You must necessarily believe that physical death will continue to exist beyond the time of Christ’s second coming.

The reason for this is that all Premillennialists must account for the rebellious and unbelieving nations in Revelation 20:7-10 who launch an assault against Christ and his people at the end of the millennial age. Where did these people come from? They must be the unbelieving progeny born to those believers who entered the millennial age in physical, unglorified bodies. Not only they, but also the believing progeny born to those believers will be subject to physical death (notwithstanding the alleged prolonged life spans experienced by those who live during the millennial reign of Christ).

• You must necessarily believe that the natural creation will continue, beyond the time of Christ’s second coming, to be subjected to the curse imposed by the fall of man.

The reason for this is that all Premillennialists must concede that unbelievers will continue to populate and infect the earth during the millennial reign of Christ. Notwithstanding the presence of Christ himself, as Premillennialists argue, the earth will continue to be ravaged by war and sin and death, even if only at the millennium’s end (Revelation 20:7-10). As a Premillennialist, you must necessarily believe that the redemption of the natural creation and its being set free from bondage to corruption does not occur, at least in its consummate expression, until 1,000 years subsequent to Christ’s return.

• You must necessarily believe that the New Heavens and New Earth will not be introduced until 1,000 years subsequent to the return of Christ.

• You must necessarily believe that unbelieving men and women will still have the opportunity to come to saving faith in Christ for at least 1,000 years subsequent to his return.

The reason for this is that, according to Premillennialism, countless millions of people will be born during the course of the millennial reign of Christ. Are Premillennialists asking us to believe that upon their attaining to an age when they are capable of understanding and responding to the revelation of God and the personal, physical presence of Christ Jesus himself, that none of them will be given the opportunity to respond in faith to the claims of the gospel?

• You must necessarily believe that unbelievers will not be finally resurrected until at least 1,000 years subsequent to the return of Christ.

• You must necessarily believe that unbelievers will not be finally judged and cast into eternal punishment until at least 1,000 years subsequent to the return of Christ.

In my study of the second coming of Christ I discovered that, contrary to what Premillennialism requires us to believe (see above),death is defeated and swallowed up in victory at the Parousia, the natural creation is set free from its bondage to corruption at the Parousia, the New Heavens and the New Earth are introduced immediately following the Parousia, all opportunity to receive Christ as savior terminates at the Parousia, and both the final resurrection and eternal judgment of unbelievers will occur at the time of the Parousia. Simply put, the NT portrayals of the second coming of Christ forced me to conclude that a millennial age, subsequent to Christ’s return, of the sort proposed by Premillennialism was impossible.
(Sam Storm)

Would appreciate it if you could respond to these points when you get time.

Thanks,
M.
___________________________________________________________

Hi M,

I've seen this argument before. It's been floating around the Internet and posted on various boards as if it causes some irreparable harm to the premillennial position. But, it's an argument based more on assumption than exegesis. Sam Storms is a post-millennialist, a position that gained widespread popularity in the late 1800's but came under increasing scrutiny with the advent of two world wars and the various clashes and skirmishes, disease, and evil that have continued throughout the last century. It's hard to argue that the world is getting better in light of those facts.

Anyway, you can read more about Sam Storms eschatology here:

http://www.enjoyinggodministries.com/studies/eschatology/

Recently, Storms attended a panel discussion hosted by John Piper in which he (Storms) defended the Amillennial view. So, his position appears to hover somewhere between the postmil and amil views.

So, let's get to his points.

First off, he states many of his objections as if the objection itself casts doubt on the validity of the position. The repeated use of the phrase "you must necessarily believe" makes it sound as if believing that point is somehow sub-biblical or without basis. It's a subtle form of "poisoning the well."

Storms writes:

If you are a Premillennialist, whether Dispensational or not, there are several things with which you must reckon:

• You must necessarily believe that physical death will continue to exist beyond the time of Christ’s second coming.

The reason for this is that all Premillennialists must account for the rebellious and unbelieving nations in Revelation 20:7-10 who launch an assault against Christ and his people at the end of the millennial age. Where did these people come from? They must be the unbelieving progeny born to those believers who entered the millennial age in physical, unglorified bodies. Not only they, but also the believing progeny born to those believers will be subject to physical death (notwithstanding the alleged prolonged life spans experienced by those who live during the millennial reign of Christ).

Jim:

Well, yes. We do believe in physical death after Christ's return, especially considering that He will break the nations like potsherds and wipe out people with the two-edge sword from His mouth.

Rev 19:15 - From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty.

Regardless of your millennial view, if you believe Revelation 19:15, then you believe that death occurs after His return. And yes, premillennialists do believe that there will be a rebellion after the 1000 years have expired. But we only believe it because that is exactly and precisely what the Bible says --

Rev 20:7-9 - When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore. And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them.

So far we are being accused of actually believing the exact words of the text. Not much of an indictment.

Where do these rebellious people come from? Well, they are not (despite what Storm says "must be") "the unbelieving progeny born to those believers who entered the millennial age in physical, unglorified bodies." That's just pejorative language with no biblical basis. The texts tells us where they come from. They are the descendants of unbelievers who survived the wars and spent the previous 1000 years under the rule of Christ on Earth without the interference of Satan. Storm seems to think that those who enter the millennium must be "believers," however he defines that term. But, the believers in Christ -- the church -- took part in the first resurrection. So, his terminology and assumptions are confused. Once Christ returns in glory and sets up the kingdom promised to Israel by their prophets, Israel is believing. But, the Gentile nations are never spoken of as being converted. They are simply ruled over. And those ancient enemies of Israel return to their natural animosity once Satan is allowed to resume his activities.

Nevertheless, the essence of Storms' argument is that death must remain after Christ's return at the beginning of the 1000 years. Yes, we believe that ... but only because the Bible says that.

Storms:

• You must necessarily believe that the natural creation will continue, beyond the time of Christ’s second coming, to be subjected to the curse imposed by the fall of man.

The reason for this is that all Premillennialists must concede that unbelievers will continue to populate and infect the earth during the millennial reign of Christ. Notwithstanding the presence of Christ himself, as Premillennialists argue, the earth will continue to be ravaged by war and sin and death, even if only at the millennium’s end (Revelation 20:7-10). As a Premillennialist, you must necessarily believe that the redemption of the natural creation and its being set free from bondage to corruption does not occur, at least in its consummate expression, until 1,000 years subsequent to Christ’s return.

Jim:

Ummmm .... and?

Where in the Bible does it say that it is either un-scriptural or untenable to accept the Biblical description of the 1000 years? Yes, the natural creation will continue until the creation of the new heavens and the new earth. Since that occurs in Revelation 21, AFTER everything that's described in Revelation 20, there's no reason not to accept that the natural order will continue during Christ's reign on Earth.

Once again, at the risk of being redundant, that's simply what the Bible says. I know that's a tough concept for some people who want to twist and contort the book of Revelation and insert theories of repetition and recapitulation, etc. But, to accuse the premillennialist of simply reading and believing what the book actually says isn't really much of an argument.

Storms:

• You must necessarily believe that the New Heavens and New Earth will not be introduced until 1,000 years subsequent to the return of Christ.

Jim:

Yep. Because 21 comes after 20. That's just the way numbers work.

Even if you remove the verse and chapter numbers, John's continued use of conjunctions such as kai (and), kai houtos (and then) etc. make it grammatically impossible to ignore the sequential nature of the events he described.

Storms:

• You must necessarily believe that unbelieving men and women will still have the opportunity to come to saving faith in Christ for at least 1,000 years subsequent to his return.

The reason for this is that, according to Premillennialism, countless millions of people will be born during the course of the millennial reign of Christ. Are Premillennialists asking us to believe that upon their attaining to an age when they are capable of understanding and responding to the revelation of God and the personal, physical presence of Christ Jesus himself, that none of them will be given the opportunity to respond in faith to the claims of the gospel?

Jim:

At this point Storms has gone wwwaaaayyyy beyond the revealed text and has begun insisting on conclusions that the Bible never addresses. We do not know that "countless millions" will be born. We don't know if in the Millennium Christ suddenly institutes an "age of accountability" such as Storm describes, considering that no such age of accountability exists in Biblical Christianity. We don't know if people will be "given the opportunity to respond in faith to the claims of the gospel." We don't know any of that! The Bible gives us no information on such matters. But, that doesn't stop Storms from attempting to create an argument against premillennialism based on his assumptions and extra-biblical conclusions. This is no way to make a solid argument.

Storms:

• You must necessarily believe that unbelievers will not be finally resurrected until at least 1,000 years subsequent to the return of Christ.

Jim:

Yep. That's what it says, alright.

Rev. 20:5a - The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed.

This is easy. I just quote the text and it makes my argument for me.

Storms:

• You must necessarily believe that unbelievers will not be finally judged and cast into eternal punishment until at least 1,000 years subsequent to the return of Christ.

Jim:

Once again, that's exactly what the text says. To conclude anything other is to go outside of what the Bible actually says.

Rev. 20:11-15 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Notice that I am not arguing from a hermeneutic or eschatological position. My replies are simply what the text says. Storms is arguing in favor of a position. Therefore, he's about to launch into a conclusion that is conveniently devoid of any supporting text.

Storms:

In my study of the second coming of Christ I discovered that, contrary to what Premillennialism requires us to believe (see above) ...

Jim:

I love this sort of assertion. Okay, I don't love it in any positive sense. But, when someone makes broad statements like this you can usually assume that the writer's "discovery" is going to be well worth reading ... for the entertainment value, if nothing else. By the way, in MY study, I've discovered that postmillennialism leads to wild speculation. But, that's just me.

Storms:

... death is defeated and swallowed up in victory at the Parousia,

Jim:

Text, please.

The only place where Paul employs this phraseology is in reference to the instantaneous change believers will undergo at the catching away.

1Cor. 15:51-58 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, "DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory. "O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.

What this passage DOESN'T say is that death is utterly defeated at the Parousia and therefore there can be no other death after this event. To draw such a conclusion, "you must necessarily believe" things that the Bible doesn't actually say. Storms is reaching beyond the text in order to support his assumptions.

Storms:

the natural creation is set free from its bondage to corruption at the Parousia,

Jim:

Says who?

Paul did write, "For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now." (Rom. 8:22) But, no NT author says that the creation is set free from its bondage to corruption at the Parousia. Once again, it would have been very helpful it Storm would provide chapter and verse to support his contentions.

Storms:

the New Heavens and the New Earth are introduced immediately following the Parousia,

Jim:

Not according to any Biblical text that actually mentions the new heavens and the new earth (Isa. 65:17, 66:22, 2 Pet. 3:13, Rev. 21:1). NONE of those texts connect the parousia with the new heavens and new earth.

Storms:

all opportunity to receive Christ as savior terminates at the Parousia,

Jim:

Stunning.

There's nothing in the Bible to prove this contention. Again, text would have been nice -- if not absolutely required -- to make such a statement.

Look, I'm not saying that I know for certain that the "opportunity" to receive Christ does not terminate at Christ's appearance, I'm just saying that the Bible does not give us sufficient clarity to state either position didactically. And unsupported assumptions simply do not -- and indeed cannot -- undermine the premillennial adherence to what the text does indeed say.

Storms:

and both the final resurrection and eternal judgment of unbelievers will occur at the time of the Parousia.

Jim:

Both the amil and postmil advocates make this claim. Under the mantra of "the less-clear passages of the Bible must be understood in light of the clear passages," they identify Revelation 20 as a "less-clear passage" (despite the fact that it employs no difficult words or hard-to-understand phrases), and defer to the separation of sheep and goats in Matthew 25 as their "clear text." Then, by concluding that the judgment of the just and unjust occurs simultaneously, they argue that there's no room for 1000 years in the "clear text."

Voila!

Of course, they ignore that what Jesus described in Matthew 25 is a division of nations, not individuals.

Mat 25:31-33 -"But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.

In that case, the "brethren" of Christ would be Israelites, not all believers.

I agree with the NET Bible's note concerning Revelation 20:5, which reads:

The "resurrection of the just" is mentioned in Luke 14:13-14, and the resurrection of "life" distinguished from the "resurrection unto damnation" in John 5:29. We here learn for the first time what interval of time separates these two resurrections.

Storms:

Simply put, the NT portrayals of the second coming of Christ forced me to conclude that a millennial age, subsequent to Christ’s return, of the sort proposed by Premillennialism was impossible. (Sam Storms)

Jim:

Well gosh. Considering the lack of scriptural support and evidential proof, I'm really wondering what "discoveries" forced Sam to conclude such extra-biblical things! And I equally wonder how it is "impossible" to believe what the Bible actually says concerning the Millennium.

It must be some sort of magic. In the words of Bullwinkle J. Moose, "Hey Rocky! Watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat! Nothing up my sleeve. Presto!"

This sort of argumentation, devoid as it is of Scriptural support, really does no harm to the premillennial position whatsoever.

Grace and peace,

Jim Mc.

Deeper Conference Footage

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Jim) — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 17:55:00 +0000

The guys who visited GCA last Sunday on their way home from Atlanta (who I had the pleasure of visiting with on Thursday as they passed through Smyrna on their way to the Deeper Conference) posted this video of their trip.

Once again, as I think this video proves, Calvinists are not exactly dour. :-)

Dr Skepple Defining Sovereign Grace

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Jim) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 21:17:00 +0000

I am frequently asked whether GCA is affiliated with Sovereign Grace Ministries, a charismatic organization that is active in church planting and publishing. The answer is no. And in this video from the recent Sovereign Grace Bible Conference in Lexington, Dr. Roger Skepple differentiates the conference from SGM. And then he defines the basic tenets of "Sovereign Grace."

Sometimes it's good to just lay out the basics and I'm thankful for Dr. Skepple's words. By the way, his entire teaching series on discipleship is worth listening to and can be found here:

www.sovereigngracebibleconference.org

2009 Conference Messages

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Jim) — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 17:38:00 +0000

Okay, okay ... you can stop asking now! Yes, the messages from the 2009 Sovereign Grace Bible Conference are all going to be posted on the conference website. I've received the DVD's from the good folk at Main Street and have begun creating the mp3 files. It's a real-time process uploading the audio into my computer, so it will take a couple of weeks to get them all posted on the site. Andrew continues to do a great job with the website and the comments and feedback we received this year at the conference was very positive. Here's the link:

www.sovereigngracebibleconference.org

Scroll to the bottom and click on "2009 Conference Messages."

The Irresistible God (Jim McClarty)

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Jim) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 02:41:00 +0000

This year's message from the Sovereign Grace Bible Conference is now posted on YouTube, thanks to Lane Chaplin.

Amazing Grace: Lane's Resource of the Month

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Jim) — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 23:18:00 +0000

Last week I contacted Lane Chaplin to arrange getting this year's conference message posted on YouTube. He asked if I'd be willing to participate in a promotional video for his "resource of the month." Well, I was happy to do it. Then he said that he needed it by that evening. So I sprang into action (or at least as close I ever come to springing). Camera, tripod, lights, a few takes, some quick editing and voila.

Actually, I added a little joke at the end of the clip. Lane replied with an email full of "LOL's." But, as they were constructing the video, the tone was pretty somber and reverent, so my joke was a bit out-of-place. Perhaps I'll post it myself -- or it can be part of Lane's future "gag reel." :-)

Watch the video and then, if you don't have it already, go order the DVD. It actually is a very good product and my recommendation is quite genuine.

Conference Photos

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Jim) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 18:44:00 +0000

Well, the 26th Anniversary of the Sovereign Grace Bible Conference has come and gone. But I have cherished memories of our time together. I've posted a collections of pictures from the conference on my Picasa site. Some were taken by Megan, others were taken by Mike, and others were sent to me from the Guyo family. If you have pictures you'd like to add to this collection, just email them and I'll post them. I haven't had time to caption them or identify the folk in the photos. I'll get to that at some point.

Just click on the title of this post above (click on the words "Conference Photos") and you'll be taken to them.

Enjoy!