A Less Popular Approach To Discernment Ministry

We need discernment. But I sometimes wonder if ministries exclusively dedicated to it is the right answer. I've seen a lot of "discernment" stuff turn into mud fights which never seem to abate. I thought Debbie Lynne's article made some very good points. Read it HERE 

Sola Fide and Dispensationalism

In a past article "The Lost Honor of John Nelson Darby" I mentioned the book "Forged From Reformation." Chapter 14 is by Glenn R. Kreider. It is titled:

Sola Fide - Salvation is by Grace Through Faith Alone in Every Dispensation

This process includes the future period commonly referred to as the tribulation, or better still, Daniel's 70th week. Whatever we may call saints within that period - Christians or tribulation saints - the process of salvation remains the same. It is always by grace through faith, and this includes Israel. Kreider cites Eph 2:8-10 among others to emphasize this.

Too often I see the dispensational (and pretrib) position erroneously called into question. A non-pretrib friend did this recently. He sounded the alarm about the dangers of dispensationalism and its views of salvation in the 70th week. When pressed he couldn't cite representative dispensational sources. John Hagee doesn't count.

Again: Salvation is by Grace Through Faith Alone in Every Dispensation

While it's true that Scofield made some careless remarks (Kreider covers this) it's also true that he and Darby held to salvation by faith alone through grace alone. Often people make broad generalizations about systems they disagree with without citing representative or primary sources.

Dispensationalism isn't perfect, but it ought to be fairly presented. If you want to understand the system, though you disagree with it, make an effort to read their best proponents. That way you can present a better case and people will take you more seriously.

Further reading:

Contra the 95 Theses Against Dispensationalism

Stupid Reasons for Dissing Dispensationalism

God’s Wrath and the Bride of Christ

Theologian Gary Burge's Comeback

I've often mentioned Stephen Sizer and Gary Burge on this blog and elsewhere. Here's an update from Dexter Van Zile:

For a while, it looked like Gary Burge’s career as a prominent anti-Zionist in the United States had come to an end and that he was going to suffer a fate similar to his theological twin across the pond in England, Anglican Priest Stephen Sizer.

This past Easter, Sizer retired. His long career in the pulpit was marred by a number of unforced errors, such as promoting the notion that Israel was responsible for 9/11 and participating in a Holocaust-denial conference organized by, of all countries, Iran. After these debacles, his superiors in the Anglican Church finally told him to stop talking about the Arab-Israeli conflict altogether. They had had enough.

To add insult to injury, the folks at InterVarsity Press in both the United Kingdom and the United States decided that they too had enough and stopped printing his books which promoted the notion that God had abandoned the Jewish people and therefore no longer had any right to live in the Holy Land. For his Anglican superiors, Sizer’s retirement must have been a relief...keep reading

Defense of The Rapture by Dr. John MacArthur

John MacArthur:

The study of the end times is the consuming passion of many in the church today. Sensational best-selling authors argue that current events fulfill their often dubious interpretations of biblical prophecy. Some claim to have figured out the secret that even Jesus in His Incarnation did not know - the time of the Second Coming (cf. Matt. 24:36). Tragically, some people get so caught up in the study of eschatology that they neglect the basic principles of spiritual growth and evangelism that the Second Coming is designed to motivate...keep reading

MacArthur refers to Robert L Thomas' Commentary on Thessalonians (The Expositor’s Bible Commentary). I highly recommend it. The article mentions an essay addressing Robert Gundry and Rev 3:10. It can be read HERE See also Dr Reluctant's post re Commentaries on Thessalonians.

The Power of Preaching

Pray for our preachers...

Fred Sanders: Christ Alone

Reasons Your Church Should Take Eschatology Seriously

Over all good one from Michael Vlach:

It is concerning that some churches today don’t take eschatology seriously. The very fact that God has revealed so many details about events to come in both testaments tells us that it is important. At the center of biblical eschatology is the blessed hope of the appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13). Not only should we be interested in prophetic events to come, we are also looking for our Savior, with whom we will spend eternity...keep reading

Only One Life

It's been a particularly tough year in our household for a number of reasons which I won't go into. But this is something I need to keep in mind always...

To live well is to live for Christ, and to die well is to die for His glory. A brief article in the 1857 edition of The Scottish Christian Journal, entitled “Dying Well,” summarized that truth with these words, “Would ye die well? then, through Christ, live well. The right way to die well is to live well.”...keep reading

We also posted this on our website. Steven Lawson tweeted:

“As we start a new year, may this be the year we hear the shout, the trumpet of God, and the voice of the archangel. Come, Lord Jesus! Come!”

To which we respond, "Amen!"