The Antichrist

The antichrist is a term (often loosly) used to suggest a world ruler who would be the antithesis to the Christian Jesus. Many have been accused of being the antichrist from Nero to Hitler, Kissenger to Gorbachev. I John 2:18 states that the Antichrist is coming and already many antichrists have come. Antichrist means "in the place of" and "against" the Christ. The Apostle John points out that there is a future culmination of all that is antichrist in one person the Antichrist, but that already antichrists have appeared and are types of the future manifestation. What do we know about this coming Antichrist? The Bible gives us many clues:
1. He will be the leader of a revived Roman Empire (Dan. 9:26b, Rev. 13:1-10, Dan. 7:23-25).
2. He will be a gentile (Rev. 13:1 "sea" refers to the countries around the Mediterainian, the Sea of the Gentiles).
3. He may be a homosexual (Dan. 11:37).
4. He will make a peace treaty with Israel and allow the rebuilding of the temple but will break the treaty and desecrate the temple after three and a half years ( Dan. 9:27).
5. He will call himself god and make people worship him (2 Thess. 2:4, Rev. 13:8).

TO BE CONTINUED...

Demon Hunter Live!

If listening to Christian Rock is a vice, as many believe, it is one vice I have. I grew up playing guitar and listening to Rock and Roll. I played in a rock band from 1982-1985 called Bounty Hunter. I love music of all types. The first Christian rock concert I went to was Ressurection Band. I was awestruck that these godly people could make music with a message that was relavent to my culture. So, I have never been one to say that certain kinds of music were demonic and others were not. You can find demonic, evil music in any style- just listen to Wagner.

About a year ago, I discovered a band called Demon Hunter. I loved the name and thair logo- a demon skull with a bullit hole in the center of it. Their music was evocative, a mix of melodic rock and thrash metal. I have to admit I became a fan. Last night they were in Albuquerque so I dragged my two older boys and a professor from the local university with me to their concert. I was delighted with the performance, not only delighted but blessed. It is great to see Christians taking on the culture without compromise of the Christian message.

Here is a sample quote from Undying by Demon Hunter:

Tearing through these days I find the tolerance to strive and push on
I know what lies beyond this life for me is already won
No one can take away the blood that covers over my fall
Without the blood of perfect life I know I’m nothing at all
So now I reign forever hallowed in eternity’s hand
No man can shake me from the everlasting ground that I stand
Undying!

Eschatology

The decline in Southern Baptist Convention membership has been discussed on several blogs and on Baptist Press. There have been many conjectures regarding the decline, however; I have not seen this view expressed: Could it be that this decline in membership that has not only affected the SBC but many other churches as well is a part of the great "falling away" before the "Day of the Lord" (from 2 Thess. 2:3). I don't know about any one else but I can feel something in my bones concerning these days in which we are living...

Something prophetically interesting from C.H. Spurgeon as he was commenting on Ezekial 37 in 1864: "If words mean anything, and if context means anything, it is quite clear that one day there will be a political restoration of the Jews to their land- to be followed by their spiritual restoration!"

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Earl Charles the Precocious of Chipping Sodbury Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

Fun stuff! a thanks to Dr. Gaylon's blog for posting this unique site. For those who care: my first name is actually Charles. Bob is a derivative of my middle name Robert.

Thoughts for the week

In celebration of Earth Day, I drove my Suburban!

What Language did Jesus speak? Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic and Latin. He also speaks through the Bible in any language in which it is translated. He also speaks to our hearts in the language of Love!

In what language was the New Testament origanally written? Greek. There are no original manuscripts found in Hebrew or Aramaic.

The last two questions and answers are prompeted by a debate I had this week. I asumed this was common knowledge, but apparently not. I think we preachers sometimes assume that all Christians study as we do, but I'm afraid that much of what Christians learn is from television and pop-books. All the more reason to exalt the teaching ministry in our churches. Evangelical scholarship is our friend.

Witnessing to muslems? I found a great website that can help: www.answer-Islam.org.

Finally, Joe Calzaghe beat Bernard Hopkins butt for the Light-Heavyweight belt. I don't know what fight the one judge who gave it to Hopkins by a point was watching, but it wasn't the same fight I was watching. The other two judges scored it correctly
116 to 111 and 115 to 112. I had it 9 rounds Calzaghe to 3 rounds for Hopkins. Hopkins didn't win the fight, but he deserved an accadamy award for his long break because of a "slight" low blow in the tenth round. He was gassed and needed a break.
Go Joe at 45-0.

Problem With Page... Repenting on a Previous Point

I must repent for some of my last blog. First, I was incredulous and somewhat miffed upon reading the Trouble With Tulip, and therefore some of my comments were supercilious. I must admit, I love Frank Page as a brother in Christ and as a capable leader of our Convention. He is , I am sure, a good scholar. The Trouble With Tulip was written on a popular level and is not a scholarly endeavor. However, I do stand by my critique of the message of the book. Page seems to suggest that all Calvinists are hypers. Church history is full of 5-point Calvinists who were not only evangelical, but were the cornerstones of frontier missions such as William Carey, Adoniram Judson, the Haldain brothers, John Patterson, etc. etc.

Secondly, I have been a student of reformed theology for 20 years and I have never heard the claim that Page makes on page 21 of The trouble with Tulip that "the image of God in human beings was totally destroyed" according to Calvin. It is interesting there is no footnote there, because I believe Page made that up. Here is what Calvin says regarding the image of God in man, "The concept of the image of God emerges clearly as we see the skills in which he excels, and which reflect God's glory. However, a more accurate assessment still comes from looking at God's remedy for sin. It is undeniable that when Adam fell from grace, he became alienated from God. So, although we know that the image of God was not completely wiped out, it was so damaged that what remains is an ugly deformity. Our salvation begins with that new start which we receive from Christ. This is why he is called the second Adam, because he restores us to wholeness." (Institutes, Abridged Edition, Baker, 1986). Again, this shows a total lack of what Calvinism represnts on the part of Dr. Page. According to Spurgeon, Calvinism was simply a nickname for the gospel itself (from a Defense of Calvinism by C.H. Spurgeon).

I am no advocate of double-predestination, but Dr. Page says " God never predestined a person to hell"(p.55) and suggests that he cannot find any reference to such in the Bible. I need to point out Judas. He is prophesied about clearly in the Old Testament. He was chosen by Christ as a disciple, and Jesus called him the Son of Perdition (hell). Blanket statements about what God can or can not do should be assessed in light of the Bible and should never be made hastily.

Dr. Page suggests that Calvin substituted absolute Sovereignty for grace through faith(p.16-17 Trouble With Tulip). Page dosent seem to understand that grace and faith as well as sovereignty are attributes of God. God is graceful, God is Faithful and God is Sovreign. Can we not see that all these work together. More later...

The Problem With Page and the Trouble With Tulip shall be continued...

The Problem with Page in the Trouble with Tulip, Part 1

I have just finished reading The Trouble With Tulip, by Dr. Frank Page. I must say that I am profoundly embarrassed that the best and the brightest the SBC has to offer seem to have lost their minds, as evidenced by this booklet from Dr. Page. The lack of good exegesis, sound logic, or solid historical research are apparent throughout this short treatise (which is astounding for someone who has a PhD). To boil it down the Trouble with Tulip has five fatal flaws. First, Dr. Page doesn't seem to understand the points in which he is trying to refute. Secondly, he espouses a universalist view of atonement; thirdly, he lacks a biblical understanding of faith. Fourth, Dr. Page's use of Acts 2:38 is misinterpreted. Fifth, and finally his acronym for grace is neither clear nor biblical. In the forthcoming critical review articles I will show the depth of these flaws and point out the scriptural, logical, and historical refutations of each.