Sunday, August 20, 2006
Letter to Congress - Transporting Minors for Abortions
Thank you for using National Write Your Congressman Mail System
Message sent to the following recipients:
Representative Edwards
Message text follows:
Steve Harris
[address omitted]
August 20, 2006
[recipient address was inserted here]
Dear [recipient name was inserted here],
Congress is preparing to begin a conference on legislation (S.403, H.R.748) that would make it a federal crime to circumvent state parental involvement laws by taking a minor across state lines for an abortion without the parent’s permission. The measures do not alter current state laws governing parental notification or consent. Abortion providers in states without parental consent laws would be required to notify a parent or legal guardian before performing an abortion on a minor who was a resident of another state.
Supporters say the bill will give teeth to state measures that protect the rights of parents to be involved in the health and welfare of their children.
Opponents call the measure an invasion into the privacy and rights of those who wish to obtain a legal medical procedure.
My personal opinion regarding this issue is: We must support the states and families that have worked to protect our children. It has been shown that many of the pregnancies of minor girls have resulted from sex with adult men. These pedophiles, and pedophile support organizations like Planned Parenthood, must not be allowed to circumvent the laws of one state by traveling to another.
I urge you to support H.R. 748.
A proud member of National Write Your Congressman
Sincerely,
Steve Harris
Message sent to the following recipients:
Representative Edwards
Message text follows:
Steve Harris
[address omitted]
August 20, 2006
[recipient address was inserted here]
Dear [recipient name was inserted here],
Congress is preparing to begin a conference on legislation (S.403, H.R.748) that would make it a federal crime to circumvent state parental involvement laws by taking a minor across state lines for an abortion without the parent’s permission. The measures do not alter current state laws governing parental notification or consent. Abortion providers in states without parental consent laws would be required to notify a parent or legal guardian before performing an abortion on a minor who was a resident of another state.
Supporters say the bill will give teeth to state measures that protect the rights of parents to be involved in the health and welfare of their children.
Opponents call the measure an invasion into the privacy and rights of those who wish to obtain a legal medical procedure.
My personal opinion regarding this issue is: We must support the states and families that have worked to protect our children. It has been shown that many of the pregnancies of minor girls have resulted from sex with adult men. These pedophiles, and pedophile support organizations like Planned Parenthood, must not be allowed to circumvent the laws of one state by traveling to another.
I urge you to support H.R. 748.
A proud member of National Write Your Congressman
Sincerely,
Steve Harris
Letter to Congress - Federal Budget Database Website
Thank you for using National Write Your Congressman Mail System
Message sent to the following recipients:
Senator Cornyn
Senator Hutchison
Representative Edwards
Mr. President
Message text follows:
Steve Harris
[address omitted]
August 20, 2006
[recipient address was inserted here]
Dear [recipient name was inserted here],
There is a bill in the U.S.Senate (S 2590) which would allow citizens to
go online at a single site and see how our taxes are being spent. However,
one or more Senators, acting in secrecy, put a hold on the bill and
refused to allow it to come up for debate and action.
The bill, introduced by Sens. Coburn of Oklahoma and Obama of Illinois,
would create a website database with access to information on almost all
federal spending. Just before the annual August recess, the bill was
"hotlined". Under "hotline", a bill passes as long as nobody secretly
objects to its passage. The Coburn/Obama bill did not pass before recess,
which means that a secret "hold" was placed on the bill to prevent its
passage.
I have no problem with matters such as security or personnel being
discussed in secret, but allowing a Senator to secretly hold a bill just
doesn't seem the way the Senate should work. If a Senator opposes a bill,
he or she should do so publicly and explain why.
The bill has a bipartisan list of prominent co-sponsors including: Senate
President Bill Frist, R-Tenn., and Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and
possible presidential hopefuls Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., Sen. Evan
Bayh, D-Ind., and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. The bill was approved July 27
by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
The House approved a similar measure in June, but its version of the
database would include information only on grants. Sponsors in the Senate
are working with House members to iron out this difference.
I would like to see the final version of this bill look like S. 2590 to
give transparency to government spending. I want to know if either of my
Senators placed the "hold" on this bill, and I want all of my elected
officials to support the final version.
Sincerely,
Steve Harris
Message sent to the following recipients:
Senator Cornyn
Senator Hutchison
Representative Edwards
Mr. President
Message text follows:
Steve Harris
[address omitted]
August 20, 2006
[recipient address was inserted here]
Dear [recipient name was inserted here],
There is a bill in the U.S.Senate (S 2590) which would allow citizens to
go online at a single site and see how our taxes are being spent. However,
one or more Senators, acting in secrecy, put a hold on the bill and
refused to allow it to come up for debate and action.
The bill, introduced by Sens. Coburn of Oklahoma and Obama of Illinois,
would create a website database with access to information on almost all
federal spending. Just before the annual August recess, the bill was
"hotlined". Under "hotline", a bill passes as long as nobody secretly
objects to its passage. The Coburn/Obama bill did not pass before recess,
which means that a secret "hold" was placed on the bill to prevent its
passage.
I have no problem with matters such as security or personnel being
discussed in secret, but allowing a Senator to secretly hold a bill just
doesn't seem the way the Senate should work. If a Senator opposes a bill,
he or she should do so publicly and explain why.
The bill has a bipartisan list of prominent co-sponsors including: Senate
President Bill Frist, R-Tenn., and Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and
possible presidential hopefuls Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., Sen. Evan
Bayh, D-Ind., and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. The bill was approved July 27
by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
The House approved a similar measure in June, but its version of the
database would include information only on grants. Sponsors in the Senate
are working with House members to iron out this difference.
I would like to see the final version of this bill look like S. 2590 to
give transparency to government spending. I want to know if either of my
Senators placed the "hold" on this bill, and I want all of my elected
officials to support the final version.
Sincerely,
Steve Harris
Sunday, August 13, 2006
Letters from Dad - Waco Trib Article
Here's the article about Letters from Dad - Waco from the Waco Tribune-Herald. I think Terri Jo Ryan wrote a great article. Read it here.
America's Christian History
"A nation which does not remember what it was yesterday, does not know what it is today, nor what it is trying to do. We are trying to do a futile thing if we do not know where we came from or what we have been about...America was born a Christian nation. America was born to exemplify that devotion to the elements of righteousness which are derived from the revelations of Holy Scripture." -President Woodrow Wilson
What can we glean from President Woodrow Wilson’s quote? If we don’t know where we’ve been, we cannot possibly know where we are going or for that matter, we won’t know what to do once we get there. Without understanding history, His-Story, God’s providential plan and will through the eons of time and through His covenant people, man loses his vision and will as a result forfeit his destiny. Without a clear understanding of our godly legacy, there is no reliable rudder to steer the great ship called America through our troubling times.
History is one of two lights that can assist man as we seek to navigate through the darkness, traps, and pitfalls that abound in this world. Patrick Henry in his famous "Give me liberty or give me death" speech affirms this truth, "I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp of experience. I know of no way of judging the future but by the past." Patrick Henry is pointing to a powerful principle that provides a lamp for mankind in the midst of murkiness and uncertainty, it is the light that comes through the study of history.
There is another light that shines as well. It is the brightest light of all. It is called the Bible, the word of God. God’s word provides an accurate filter or grid to correctly assess history. It will expose the so-called "history’ that has been rewritten or revised for political gain or cultural corruption. Together, God’s word and history act similar to the relationship of the sun and moon. One is the greater light that rules the day and one is the lesser light that rules the night. Both are important, however, if we are going to see clearly enough to secure a future and a hope for America.
A philosopher once stated, "the surest way to destroy a people is to sever her roots." Karl Marx, the father of communism, declared, "Take away the heritage of the people and they are easily persuaded." Psalm 88:12 states, "righteousness cannot long endure in the land of forgetfulness." All these quotes reveal the dangers of what happens to a people when they become ignorant of, revise, or deny their history. Their root system that supplies their freedom, liberty, and prosperity will become severed and their foundations will be destroyed. Thus they will be easily led astray and will become a prey to enemies from within and from without.
There is overwhelming evidence of God’s hand in establishing America and developing it to be a city on a hill, a light to the nations. A University of Houston study of the founding era wanted to see why the American form of government had endured so well. They wanted to see whom the founders quoted in their writings. Out of 15,000 writings they examined, they found 3,154 direct quotes:
· 34% (or about 1000 quotes) were taken directly from the Bible
· Another 60% (close to 2000 quotes) were based indirectly on the Bible.
The Founding Fathers, though not perfect, were Biblical in their orientation and used the Bible as their political textbook, which became the basis for our government and laws. Their understanding of God’s word and history gave to mankind the freest and most prosperous nation in mankind’s brutal history. If we, as Americans, do not return to their understanding of God’s word and history, then America as we know it will continue to stand in jeopardy.
Quotes From The Founding Fathers
Daniel Webster, esteemed as one of the five greatest senators in U.S. history warned, "If religious books are not widely circulated among the masses in this country, I do not know what is going to become of us as a nation. If truth be not diffused, error will be; If God and His Word are not known and received, the devil and his works will gain the ascendancy; If the evangelical volume does not reach every hamlet, the pages of a corrupt and licentious literature will; If the power of the Gospel is not felt throughout the length and breadth of the land, anarchy and misrule, degradation and misery, corruption and darkness will reign without mitigation or end." Judge for yourself, if his warning is not coming to pass in the land of the free and the home of the brave.
"It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible." -George Washington, the Father of our Country.
"It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here." -Patrick Henry, the Trumpet of the American Revolution. (America today still wants the fruits of Christianity, asylum, freedom to worship, and prosperity, we just don't want the root of Christianity that produces these blessings in the first place. Can these fruits long endure if we remove the only sure basis for their existence).
The highest glory of the American Revolution was this; it connected in one indissoluble bond the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity."
Why is it that, next to the birthday of the Saviour of the World, your most joyous and most venerated festival returns on this day. Is it not that, in the chain of human events, the birthday of the nation is indissolubly linked with the birthday of the Savior? That it forms a leading event in the Progress of the Gospel dispensation? Is it not that the Declaration of Independence first organized the social compact on the foundation of the Redeemer's mission upon earth? That it laid the cornerstone of human government upon the first precepts of Christianity and gave to the world the first irrevocable pledge of the fulfillment of the prophecies announced directly from Heaven at the birth of the Saviour and predicted by the greatest of the Hebrew prophets 600 years before." -John Quincy Adams, sixth President of America
"Education is useless without the Bible." "The moral principles and precepts contained in the Scriptures ought to form the basis of all of our civil constitutions and laws....All the miseries and evils which men suffer from vice, crime, ambition, injustice, oppression, slavery and war, proceed from their despising or neglecting the precepts contained in the Bible." -Noah Webster, Father of American Education.
"I lament that we waste so much time and money in punishing crimes and take so little pains to prevent them…we neglect the only means of establishing and perpetuating our republican forms of government; that is, the universal education of our youth in the principles of Christianity by means of the Bible; for this Divine Book, above all others, constitutes the soul of republicanism." -Benjamin Rush, Signer of the Declaration of Independence.
"All societies of men must be governed in some way or other. The less they have of stringent State Government, the more they must have of individual self-government. The less they rely on public law or physical force, the more they must rely on private moral restraint. Men, in a word, must necessarily be controlled either by a power within them, or a power without them; either by the word of God, or by the strong arm of man; either by the Bible or by the bayonet." -Robert Winthrop, U.S. representative, author and orator.
"We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." -John Adams, Second President of America."
"I sought for the key to the greatness and genius of America...Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits aflame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because America is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great." -Alexis de Tocqueville, Historian.
Our Founding Fathers knew our goodness came from our faith in Jesus Christ and by living according to His word. They knew that only "One Nation Under God" can produce order in society on one hand and freedom to individuals on the other. They knew freedom was the power to do as we ought and not to do as we want. They knew there were two enemies to liberty, lawlessness and immorality amongst the citizenry and tyranny in civil government. They knew self-government under God was the key to protecting liberty. Only a religious, moral, and virtuous people who put restraints upon their appetites, lusts, and greed can remain a free people. Both the Bible and our history attests to these truths. May we return to these truths before America loses her vision and therefore forfeits her destiny. -Rev. Rusty Lee Thomas
Elijah Ministries, P.O. Box 3126, Waco, TX 76707
e-mail: elijahmin@ifriendly.com
Website: www.mttu.com/elijahmin
What can we glean from President Woodrow Wilson’s quote? If we don’t know where we’ve been, we cannot possibly know where we are going or for that matter, we won’t know what to do once we get there. Without understanding history, His-Story, God’s providential plan and will through the eons of time and through His covenant people, man loses his vision and will as a result forfeit his destiny. Without a clear understanding of our godly legacy, there is no reliable rudder to steer the great ship called America through our troubling times.
History is one of two lights that can assist man as we seek to navigate through the darkness, traps, and pitfalls that abound in this world. Patrick Henry in his famous "Give me liberty or give me death" speech affirms this truth, "I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp of experience. I know of no way of judging the future but by the past." Patrick Henry is pointing to a powerful principle that provides a lamp for mankind in the midst of murkiness and uncertainty, it is the light that comes through the study of history.
There is another light that shines as well. It is the brightest light of all. It is called the Bible, the word of God. God’s word provides an accurate filter or grid to correctly assess history. It will expose the so-called "history’ that has been rewritten or revised for political gain or cultural corruption. Together, God’s word and history act similar to the relationship of the sun and moon. One is the greater light that rules the day and one is the lesser light that rules the night. Both are important, however, if we are going to see clearly enough to secure a future and a hope for America.
A philosopher once stated, "the surest way to destroy a people is to sever her roots." Karl Marx, the father of communism, declared, "Take away the heritage of the people and they are easily persuaded." Psalm 88:12 states, "righteousness cannot long endure in the land of forgetfulness." All these quotes reveal the dangers of what happens to a people when they become ignorant of, revise, or deny their history. Their root system that supplies their freedom, liberty, and prosperity will become severed and their foundations will be destroyed. Thus they will be easily led astray and will become a prey to enemies from within and from without.
There is overwhelming evidence of God’s hand in establishing America and developing it to be a city on a hill, a light to the nations. A University of Houston study of the founding era wanted to see why the American form of government had endured so well. They wanted to see whom the founders quoted in their writings. Out of 15,000 writings they examined, they found 3,154 direct quotes:
· 34% (or about 1000 quotes) were taken directly from the Bible
· Another 60% (close to 2000 quotes) were based indirectly on the Bible.
The Founding Fathers, though not perfect, were Biblical in their orientation and used the Bible as their political textbook, which became the basis for our government and laws. Their understanding of God’s word and history gave to mankind the freest and most prosperous nation in mankind’s brutal history. If we, as Americans, do not return to their understanding of God’s word and history, then America as we know it will continue to stand in jeopardy.
Quotes From The Founding Fathers
Daniel Webster, esteemed as one of the five greatest senators in U.S. history warned, "If religious books are not widely circulated among the masses in this country, I do not know what is going to become of us as a nation. If truth be not diffused, error will be; If God and His Word are not known and received, the devil and his works will gain the ascendancy; If the evangelical volume does not reach every hamlet, the pages of a corrupt and licentious literature will; If the power of the Gospel is not felt throughout the length and breadth of the land, anarchy and misrule, degradation and misery, corruption and darkness will reign without mitigation or end." Judge for yourself, if his warning is not coming to pass in the land of the free and the home of the brave.
"It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible." -George Washington, the Father of our Country.
"It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here." -Patrick Henry, the Trumpet of the American Revolution. (America today still wants the fruits of Christianity, asylum, freedom to worship, and prosperity, we just don't want the root of Christianity that produces these blessings in the first place. Can these fruits long endure if we remove the only sure basis for their existence).
The highest glory of the American Revolution was this; it connected in one indissoluble bond the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity."
Why is it that, next to the birthday of the Saviour of the World, your most joyous and most venerated festival returns on this day. Is it not that, in the chain of human events, the birthday of the nation is indissolubly linked with the birthday of the Savior? That it forms a leading event in the Progress of the Gospel dispensation? Is it not that the Declaration of Independence first organized the social compact on the foundation of the Redeemer's mission upon earth? That it laid the cornerstone of human government upon the first precepts of Christianity and gave to the world the first irrevocable pledge of the fulfillment of the prophecies announced directly from Heaven at the birth of the Saviour and predicted by the greatest of the Hebrew prophets 600 years before." -John Quincy Adams, sixth President of America
"Education is useless without the Bible." "The moral principles and precepts contained in the Scriptures ought to form the basis of all of our civil constitutions and laws....All the miseries and evils which men suffer from vice, crime, ambition, injustice, oppression, slavery and war, proceed from their despising or neglecting the precepts contained in the Bible." -Noah Webster, Father of American Education.
"I lament that we waste so much time and money in punishing crimes and take so little pains to prevent them…we neglect the only means of establishing and perpetuating our republican forms of government; that is, the universal education of our youth in the principles of Christianity by means of the Bible; for this Divine Book, above all others, constitutes the soul of republicanism." -Benjamin Rush, Signer of the Declaration of Independence.
"All societies of men must be governed in some way or other. The less they have of stringent State Government, the more they must have of individual self-government. The less they rely on public law or physical force, the more they must rely on private moral restraint. Men, in a word, must necessarily be controlled either by a power within them, or a power without them; either by the word of God, or by the strong arm of man; either by the Bible or by the bayonet." -Robert Winthrop, U.S. representative, author and orator.
"We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." -John Adams, Second President of America."
"I sought for the key to the greatness and genius of America...Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits aflame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because America is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great." -Alexis de Tocqueville, Historian.
Our Founding Fathers knew our goodness came from our faith in Jesus Christ and by living according to His word. They knew that only "One Nation Under God" can produce order in society on one hand and freedom to individuals on the other. They knew freedom was the power to do as we ought and not to do as we want. They knew there were two enemies to liberty, lawlessness and immorality amongst the citizenry and tyranny in civil government. They knew self-government under God was the key to protecting liberty. Only a religious, moral, and virtuous people who put restraints upon their appetites, lusts, and greed can remain a free people. Both the Bible and our history attests to these truths. May we return to these truths before America loses her vision and therefore forfeits her destiny. -Rev. Rusty Lee Thomas
Elijah Ministries, P.O. Box 3126, Waco, TX 76707
e-mail: elijahmin@ifriendly.com
Website: www.mttu.com/elijahmin
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Different Views of the Millennium
I've posted this from a friend's email message. I hope you learn from it. Steve
Dear Champion of the Lord and the Preborn,
The Lord richly bless you! The response to my "End of Days" article was overwhelming. Some were upset, some were thankful, some became hysterical, and others are contemplating before God the merits or demerits of what was presented. My decision to send it out was to prayerfully stimulate thought and a desire to inspire the Church to study the word of God more fervently.
The Church for the last several decades have only been privy to basically one view of the End Times. My purpose in writing the article was to demonstrate that in Church history there are other views that have been hidden in recent times. To my way of thinking, this has hurt the vision, mission, and effectiveness of the Church of Jesus Christ in the earth. There have been primarily four different views of the End Times that the Church has adopted through the years. All of them based upon the Church's interpretation of Scripture. The following is just a finger nail sketch of these differeing views. To learn more about these views, there is an excellent book written by Loraine Boettner called "The Millenium." He faithfully presents all sides and perspectives to this topic, but he himself holds to a Postmillennial view.
Traditionally there have been great men of God and theologians that have advocated these different views of the Millennium throughout Church history. And while they may disagree to the manner and time of Christ’s return, they all agree that Christ will return personally, visibly, and with great glory. They also agree that at His coming the dead are raised, judgment is executed, and eventually an eternal state will be established.
Amillennial
Amillennialists do not hold to a literal “one thousand year reign of Christ on earth” interpretation of Scripture. There will be according to this system of thought no worldwide peace, either before Christ returns (Postmillennialism) and since they reject the literal Premillennial reign of Christ, there will be no thousand year rule of Christ seated in Jerusalem over the world either.
Amillennialism believes that there are two parallel kingdoms, the Kingdom of God (a present reality) and the kingdom of darkness that run side by side until the second coming of Christ. No one kingdom shall dominate the other until Jesus returns to break up the fight. At the second coming of Christ the resurrection and judgment will take place. The eternal order and the absolute Kingdom of God will then be established in perfection. There will be the cessation of all sin, suffering, and death, the final enemy, will be conquered once and for all.
The main Scriptures the Amillennialists derive their doctrine comes from Jesus’ teaching on the Kingdom parables, specifically, the parable concerning the Wheat and the Tares. For your own personal study read Matthew 13 to glean the Amillennial position.
Premillennial
This view teaches that there will be a period of world-wide peace and righteousness for a literal thousand years. The second coming of Christ triggers His millennial reign upon earth at Jerusalem and will extend in real time to the end of the world. There are varying views even within the Premillennial camp that concern the order of events that lead to Christ’s millennial reign. Regardless, they all agree in holding to a literal thousand year reign of Christ after he returns to the end of the world and the eternal state.
Dispensationalism
Dispensationalism, is one of a few theological strains that flow from the Premillennial view of the end times. J. N. Darby and the Schofield Reference Bible popularized this particular interpretation of Scripture starting in the 1830s. It seeks to divide God’s covenantal dealings with mankind in history into seven distinct periods or “dispensations.” According to this view God deals with mankind based upon one specific principle during each period.
This view places great difference between Israel and the Church and tends to pit the law against grace, to the point that they are mutually exclusive principles. One of the main differences that separates dispensationalism from the historic Premillennial position is their teaching that the Church will not go through the “Tribulation.” This runs contrary to the historic Premillennial view that teaches the Church will go through the “Tribulation.”
According to the Dispensational view of the end times, the Church will be raptured out of the world, quite possibly within our generation. This will mark the beginning of a period of seven years in which the first half will be defined by the Jews becoming involved in a covenantal relationship with a future “Antichrist,” a literal human being possessed by Satan himself, and the last half of this period marked by the Jews enduring terrible persecutions under the same “Antichrist.”
At the end of this period, Christ returns physically to earth, annihilates the Antichrist, and establishes His reign in Jerusalem. The Jews at this point return to God’s special position of favor and are to remain a distinct body from the Gentiles throughout eternity.
Another novel feature of Dispensationalism is its doctrine that when the Jews rejected Jesus Christ’s offer of the Davidic Kingdom, God allegedly withdrew the offer to a future period. Since Christ had come for that purpose and supposedly the Jews had thwarted that purpose, the Lord created a contingent plan called the Church. The Church became a temporary substitute, a parenthesis period, during which God deals with man through the Church until the rapture. Once the Church is taken away God reverts back to His original dealings with the Jews in a rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem, where, once again, animal sacrifices are offered up to Christ who is seated upon the Davidic throne.
Postmillennialism
This view holds that the Kingdom of God is a present reality similar to the Amillennial view. It extends throughout the world by the preaching of the Gospel and the saving work of the Holy Spirit. Under this system of theology, the world will eventually become Christianized. The return of Christ will occur only after a long period of righteousness and peace.
It is interesting to note that only the Postmillennial position allows for the Great Commission to be fulfilled in time and history (Matthew 28:18-20). Premillennialism and Amillennialism both view the great Commission as a mere witness to the nations. Only Postmillennialism holds to the view that the Church must “disciple the nations.”
This view does not hold that there will ever be a time on this earth where every person will be saved and sin abolished. It does hold, however, that evil in its destructive forms will be curtailed and the Christian worldview will dominate the nations before Christ returns.
IN KING JESUS' SERVICE,
Rusty
Dear Champion of the Lord and the Preborn,
The Lord richly bless you! The response to my "End of Days" article was overwhelming. Some were upset, some were thankful, some became hysterical, and others are contemplating before God the merits or demerits of what was presented. My decision to send it out was to prayerfully stimulate thought and a desire to inspire the Church to study the word of God more fervently.
The Church for the last several decades have only been privy to basically one view of the End Times. My purpose in writing the article was to demonstrate that in Church history there are other views that have been hidden in recent times. To my way of thinking, this has hurt the vision, mission, and effectiveness of the Church of Jesus Christ in the earth. There have been primarily four different views of the End Times that the Church has adopted through the years. All of them based upon the Church's interpretation of Scripture. The following is just a finger nail sketch of these differeing views. To learn more about these views, there is an excellent book written by Loraine Boettner called "The Millenium." He faithfully presents all sides and perspectives to this topic, but he himself holds to a Postmillennial view.
Traditionally there have been great men of God and theologians that have advocated these different views of the Millennium throughout Church history. And while they may disagree to the manner and time of Christ’s return, they all agree that Christ will return personally, visibly, and with great glory. They also agree that at His coming the dead are raised, judgment is executed, and eventually an eternal state will be established.
Amillennial
Amillennialists do not hold to a literal “one thousand year reign of Christ on earth” interpretation of Scripture. There will be according to this system of thought no worldwide peace, either before Christ returns (Postmillennialism) and since they reject the literal Premillennial reign of Christ, there will be no thousand year rule of Christ seated in Jerusalem over the world either.
Amillennialism believes that there are two parallel kingdoms, the Kingdom of God (a present reality) and the kingdom of darkness that run side by side until the second coming of Christ. No one kingdom shall dominate the other until Jesus returns to break up the fight. At the second coming of Christ the resurrection and judgment will take place. The eternal order and the absolute Kingdom of God will then be established in perfection. There will be the cessation of all sin, suffering, and death, the final enemy, will be conquered once and for all.
The main Scriptures the Amillennialists derive their doctrine comes from Jesus’ teaching on the Kingdom parables, specifically, the parable concerning the Wheat and the Tares. For your own personal study read Matthew 13 to glean the Amillennial position.
Premillennial
This view teaches that there will be a period of world-wide peace and righteousness for a literal thousand years. The second coming of Christ triggers His millennial reign upon earth at Jerusalem and will extend in real time to the end of the world. There are varying views even within the Premillennial camp that concern the order of events that lead to Christ’s millennial reign. Regardless, they all agree in holding to a literal thousand year reign of Christ after he returns to the end of the world and the eternal state.
Dispensationalism
Dispensationalism, is one of a few theological strains that flow from the Premillennial view of the end times. J. N. Darby and the Schofield Reference Bible popularized this particular interpretation of Scripture starting in the 1830s. It seeks to divide God’s covenantal dealings with mankind in history into seven distinct periods or “dispensations.” According to this view God deals with mankind based upon one specific principle during each period.
This view places great difference between Israel and the Church and tends to pit the law against grace, to the point that they are mutually exclusive principles. One of the main differences that separates dispensationalism from the historic Premillennial position is their teaching that the Church will not go through the “Tribulation.” This runs contrary to the historic Premillennial view that teaches the Church will go through the “Tribulation.”
According to the Dispensational view of the end times, the Church will be raptured out of the world, quite possibly within our generation. This will mark the beginning of a period of seven years in which the first half will be defined by the Jews becoming involved in a covenantal relationship with a future “Antichrist,” a literal human being possessed by Satan himself, and the last half of this period marked by the Jews enduring terrible persecutions under the same “Antichrist.”
At the end of this period, Christ returns physically to earth, annihilates the Antichrist, and establishes His reign in Jerusalem. The Jews at this point return to God’s special position of favor and are to remain a distinct body from the Gentiles throughout eternity.
Another novel feature of Dispensationalism is its doctrine that when the Jews rejected Jesus Christ’s offer of the Davidic Kingdom, God allegedly withdrew the offer to a future period. Since Christ had come for that purpose and supposedly the Jews had thwarted that purpose, the Lord created a contingent plan called the Church. The Church became a temporary substitute, a parenthesis period, during which God deals with man through the Church until the rapture. Once the Church is taken away God reverts back to His original dealings with the Jews in a rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem, where, once again, animal sacrifices are offered up to Christ who is seated upon the Davidic throne.
Postmillennialism
This view holds that the Kingdom of God is a present reality similar to the Amillennial view. It extends throughout the world by the preaching of the Gospel and the saving work of the Holy Spirit. Under this system of theology, the world will eventually become Christianized. The return of Christ will occur only after a long period of righteousness and peace.
It is interesting to note that only the Postmillennial position allows for the Great Commission to be fulfilled in time and history (Matthew 28:18-20). Premillennialism and Amillennialism both view the great Commission as a mere witness to the nations. Only Postmillennialism holds to the view that the Church must “disciple the nations.”
This view does not hold that there will ever be a time on this earth where every person will be saved and sin abolished. It does hold, however, that evil in its destructive forms will be curtailed and the Christian worldview will dominate the nations before Christ returns.
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