What's New

12/31/2003: As the year comes to a close, we continue to see decline in the sanity of the Nation and the general spiritual health of churches in particular. While mega-churches are often showcased to suggest "revival", the actual spiritual condition of the members is appalling. Numbers of Christians are either unawakened, morally-calloused, or in a panic--and thus vulnerable to the siren calls of either Reformed/Covenantism or the Charismatic. The feel-good and "seeker-friendly" church movement is fast becoming the spawning ground for so-called New Age Christianity. We appropriately share some thoughts from the late Miles J. Stanford.

A Dispensationalism that includes ground for the charismatic, is a danger to the Church. There may be the claim of "complete separation" of Israel and the Church, while at the same time including charismatic ground, i.e., secondary application of the Sermon on the Mount, the "spiritual" blessings of Israel's New Covenant, plus aspects of the "present/future" millennial kingdom.

A Dispensationalism that provides ground for Covenantism, is a danger to the Church. There may be the claim of "complete separation" of Israel and the Church, while at the same time including Covenant ground, i.e., secondary application of the Sermon on the Mount, the "spiritual blessings" of Israel's New Covenant, plus aspects of the "present/ future" millennial kingdom.

Such compromised, inclusive Dispensationalism is the spawning ground for charismatic craziness, Lordship salvation, Covenant legalism, Reconstructionism, etc.

A Dispensationalism that does not include ground for the charismatics, or Covenantism, is a blessing to the Church. The home ground of the Body, her growth ground is in the glorified, heavenly Lord Jesus Christ, who is her Head and her Life. Her doctrinal ground is centered in the Pauline Church Epistles. Carefully note Ephesians 3:9-11. I would a thousand times rather be accused of making the Synoptic Gospels secondary to the Pauline Church Epistles, than to make Paul secondary to anything!

The Church will never be found in the OT, nor in the Synoptic Gospels. Nor can she function in a past, pre-Cross dispensation. The Holy Spirit is not ministering from a past dispensation to the Church in this dispensation.

The glorious Church, the heavenly Bride of Christ, is indwelt (individually) by, and ministered to by, the Spirit of Christ. She is in eternal union with the Lord Jesus Christ in heaven, both now and forever. She abides in Him there; her life is hidden with Christ in God.

A Dispensationalism short of this heavenly ground, one that sprawls out over Israel's charismatic and Covenant ground, is the direct cause of the wildfire and legalism that is devastating the Church today.

Heed Paul first and foremost, and thereby glorify God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. "Since "ye, then, be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye have died, and your life is [now] hidden with Christ in God" (Col. 3:1-3).

"Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man" (Col. 1:25).

12/25/2003

Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday. We are grateful for all that He does, but our delight for who He is continues to grow and mature. May it be your heart's desire in the coming year as well. We will be entering our ninth year on the Internet. While we have not kept count, repeat email correspondents have been in the hundreds and visitors in the thousands. Again, we deeply thank all those who have faithfully provided support in one form or another.

On a humorous note, my youngest son currently serving in the US Air Force (newly married and probably very homesick) sent this picture of his December 24, 2003 meal from the skies above.

Christmas Eve Dinner over Bagdad.

12/6/2003

The December 8th edition of U.S. News and World Report* entitled THE NEW EVANGELICALS caught my eye while sitting in a Left Coast airport this Friday. Similar articles have appeared in Time and Newsweek over the past three decades and with curiosity stirred, I purchased the magazine. Written by senior writer, Jay Tolson, the article is a total retread, complete with quoted references to works of Alan Wolfe, George Marsden, and Mark Noll. Is there any end to journalist’s inability and failure to grasp why evangelical Christianity should hold sway on modern culture? Apparently, not. Tolson’s carping about evangelicalism’s “fundamentalist turn” and its so-called anti-intellectualism bent is annoying. One is certainly given to wonder about editorial motive. Lately, the Left has been putting in overtime in their effort to discredit the current Administration’s quasi-religious identity and to suggest that only secularists, agnostics, and atheists qualify for service in the public arena. Without direct challenge, they continue to push the Nation to question how the current President, et al, can identify himself with faith and Christianity, given the so-called Constitutional doctrine of “separation of church and state”. To help make their propagandist point, page 43 carries a picture of the late Pentecostal Oral Roberts, set in one of his theatric healing poses, over an image of Bush and Cheney in a moment of prayer. Wackos by association? In short, don’t waste your money. There's very little new insight to be found in this article.

*The publisher is left-wing Democrat Mort Zuckerman--close social friend of Bill and Hillary Clinton.

11/22/2003

On a far more positive note, we call our readers attention to the insightful works of Dr. David Instone-Brewer on the subjects of Marriage, Divorce, and Remarriage. Dr. Instone-Brewer is a Baptist minister and Research Fellow at Tyndale House associated with Cambridge University, UK. We recommend that you allow him to challenge your views on these critical subjects. Begin by reading his summary booklet: Divorce and Remarriage in the 1st and 21st Centuries.

"The message of the NT is that divorce is allowed but should be avoided whenever possible. Divorce is allowed only on the grounds of broken marriage vows, and the decision to divorce can be made only by the injured party. A believer should never break the marriage vows, and should try to forgive a repentant partner who has done so. If divorce does happen, remarriage is permitted. All this would be obvious to a first-century believer, but the meaning of the text was obscured at a very early date due to ignorance about the Jewish background after 70 c.e. Modern Church practices can be easily adapted t this insight because our marriage services still preserve the four biblical grounds for divorce in the marriage vows.

"The Church should now be humble and admit that a great mistake has been made. Too many generations of husbands and wives have been forced to remain with their abusing or neglectful partners and have not been allowed to divorce even after suffering repeated unfaithfulness. The Church should not continue in a false teaching because Christian tradition should not be regarded as superior to the teaching of Jesus and Paul."

11/8/2003

Historically, lesbian trysts typically go unreported as the unfaithful are engaged in deception and their husbands are too overcome with humiliation to discuss the matter--publicly or in private. If children are involved, the silence is often deafening. However, this may be changing. The covert and hidden dimension to the plague of homosexuality surfaced with a case before the New Hampshire Supreme Court. Shockingly, a majority of the judges failed to grasp the nature of a lesbian tryst by a married woman. "Married women are free to have extramarital sexual relations with other women... without being at fault for the break-up of their marriage." See Court: Homosexual sex not adultery. The jurists, ignorant of the Judeo-Christian foundations of our legal system, used Webster's Third New International Dictionary for their definition of "adultery" and basis for adjudication. What's even more shocking, is that a substantial number of elders and deacons in conservative churches across America appear as ethically confused as these judges!

In Matthew 19:9, Jesus said: "And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery..." (NKJV). The Greek word translated "sexual immorality" above, ("fornication" in the King James) is porneia--and signifies a wide variety of sexual immorality. The Greek word translated "adultery" is moichātai, which according to Vine's Expository Dictionary denotes "unlawful intercourse with the spouse of another." Whether hetero or homo, sexual relations outside of the heterosexual marriage covenant is porneia, is sin and immoral. Also see, Marriage, Divorce, and Remarriage

11/7/2003

The Framers of the Declaration of Independence correctly understood that "right-to-life" is not inherent, rather it is an endowment to mankind from the Creator. While in the struggled to free themselves from political tyranny, they wrote, "...all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life..." By contrast, all liberals, of whatever stripe, do not understand this endowment. Further, the Creator also pre-judged and mandated that the endowment of life was to be withdrawn from all murderers based on a strict, delegated accounting by society. Read carefully Genesis 9:5,6. The endowment was made part of a perpetual covenant agreement between God and all living creatures--"for all generations to come". Finally, God's signature (the rainbow) sealed the agreement. Have you seen a rainbow? If so, the mandate for execution of all murderers is binding. For those who acknowledge the Bible as God's inerrant Word, this should be the end of the discussion. See Death Penalty ~ Both Moral and Just

PS: Genesis 9:2,3 - This same covenant agreement delivers all of the animal kingdom, together with the plant kingdom, into the figurative "hands" of mankind for FOOD. Contrary to all the smoke blown by PETA pagans, animals as food is an unalienable right of mankind.

11/2/2003

Surprisingly, one visitor asked the question, "How can the Episcopal Church approve of that bishop in light of the clear teaching of Scripture?" The answer is quite simple--they either ignore Scripture altogether or twist it to suit their perverse and depraved minds. The Episcopalians (Anglican or Church of England in Europe) along with other large denominations, abandoned the inerrancy and veracity of the Bible decades--even centuries ago. In theological terms, these organizations became apostate. While the religious and ecclesiastical machinery continued to function, genuine and biblical Christianity fled. Only a handful of highly confused and misguided Christians maintained membership. During the mid-20th century, an minister in the Anglican tradition candidly wrote:

Many of my Liberal colleagues are guilty of going through the process of rethinking the meaning of the traditional words and phrases of historic Christian faith, often radically reconstituting them with meaning which negates Christian faith in its historical sense, but they do not let this be known to their congregations.

They use the phrases without indicating that they do not mean by them what the typical parishioner thinks they mean. This, of course, is blatant intellectual dishonesty [fraud]. The crime is compounded, furthermore, because it is committed most often by those who speak most strongly in favor of intellectual honesty.

One is appalled to learn, repeatedly, that when I tell those who resent my Liberalism that I represent, for good or ill, the overwhelming majority of Protestant ministers, most of them refuse to believe me. They haven't the slightest idea what is currently (1946) being taught in the seminaries they support "for Jesus' sake."

One experiences a wistfulness about all this, to be sure. There was a time, in one's cumulative educational experience, when one felt that it was not only possible, but necessary, radically to reshape what was meant by Christian faith.

But one comes, reluctantly but logically, to see that true Christian faith cannot be reshaped: it must either be accepted in its biblical and historic form, or it must be rejected. And if, after taking what were once exciting and highly stimulating and, hopefully, incisive looks at Liberalism, at Neo-orthodoxy, at Bultmannism, etc., it is impossible to accept any of these in the place of Fundamentalism which itself has been rejected, then a wistfulness takes over; for one is lost in the most profound existentialist sense of that word.

And you? Scripture is clear. Those who claim to know and love truth must separate from evil and apostasy. What to know more? Read Dr. Donald Grey Barnhouse and Neo-Evangelicalism

11/1/2003

The events surrounding General William Boykin, current object of liberal/postmodern ensnarement, were certainly a great object lesson for those paying attention. However, Bush's effort to avoid a similar ambush may be short-sighted in that he can't have it both ways. He can't mollify the postmodern left and simultaneously maintain that the terrorist are evil people. Muslims around the world are not as easily duped as secular Americans, and will likely see how to exploit this situation to the benefit of their Islamic crusade. Addressing reporters Bush said, "Americans think terrorists are evil people who have hijacked a great religion." (Does he really believe that, or is it well rehearsed?) Devout Muslims agree with the "great religion" part, so great that they're engaged in a crusade to either convert or destroy the West. A large percentage of Americans simply cannot deal with this reality.

The sharper notetakers are on to Bush. "It is highly likely that Bush himself, a genuinely devout Christian by all accounts, agrees with at least some, perhaps much of what Boykin said," the reporters speculated. The left's strategy is to challenge any mixture of politics and religion moving up the ladder of media-enabled or prominent conservatives. Each success brings renewed boldness for further their secular crusade with finely targeted character assassinations. It's only a matter of time until some radical challenges Bush's right to the Presidency based on their ahistorical understanding of "separation of church and state." The Supreme Court has laid the foundation for this secular nonsense and the left is seeking to block each and every Court nominee of this Administration.

10/25/2003

My comment just below triggered the following insightful response.

Dan: I was stimulated by Abraham's paper on the Methodists and the three factions vying for control of the "denomination." While reading, I was struck by the similarities to the alliances within the Democratic Party, and to national politics, as well. Scary, isn't it? The "incoherent" pluralism which threatens Methodists is the same presuppositional basis for [current] American unity. Presuppositional not as the original source, but as the evolved, ubiquitous philosophy, the common understanding, which has guided the practice of pluralism since Lincoln. The same factions (liberal, radical and conservative) drive the nation to schism, a phenomena I have only felt intuitively as the undercurrent of the current 'culture war' waged in the courts, Congress and such by "peaceful" means. I don't mean to sound an alarm. I just hadn't previously realized how tenuous the long term viability of this social contract perhaps may be. Dennis

10/18/2003

Even some of the most ultra-liberal and apostate denominations (Episcopal, Methodist, Presbyterian, United Church of Christ etc.) are finding the principles of inclusion and tolerance impossible to live with. The postmodern and pro-homo factions, within the 2.7 million American Episcopal body, are attempting to impose a 'tyranny of the minority' upon the world-wide denomination. In 1998, William J. Abraham, (Professor of Wesley Studies at the Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University) wrote from his perspective within United Methodist about the dynamics of the same crisis. See United Methodists at the End of the Mainline. The yellow highlighting is mine. The title is a play on words with double meaning. One hundred years ago, the largest denomination were tagged "mainline denominations." Further, major railroad networks of yesterday and today have dead end point--commonly referred to as "the end of the line." Thus, Mr. Abraham's infers that United Methodism is at the end of its liberal experiment.

10/10/2003

Small world. As for spinal pain, I can certainly empathize with Rush Limbaugh. Buddy, you've got my prayers! I've struggled since the early '70s with pain from herniated disks, which at times can be rather debilitating. With age, the situation can compound and grow worse, leading to spinal stenosis. Due to unbearable pain in March of this year, my doctor prescribed maintenance doses of various Rxs for pain--prime opportunity to develop an "addiction". This is the medically 'conservative' approach; no play on words intended. Because we live in a fallen world, better the risk of addiction than the higher risk of unsuccessful brain or spine surgery. However by my own demand, I went 'under the knife' in late August and have since been in recovery and rehabilitation mode. It's very easy for me to understand Rush's complex dilemma.

10/09/2003

Jewish radio talk show host, Dennis Prager, speaks with a good deal of moral clarity these days -- "Liberals and liberalism does not hate evil. It hates those [individuals] who hate evil." He further makes a case for Divine "hate". "These six [things] the LORD hates. Yes, seven [are] an abomination to Him: a proud look (pride), a lying tongue (deceit), hands that shed innocent blood (murder), a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness [who] speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren." Proverbs 6:16

10/05/2003

This morning my dear wife came upon some online Christian poetry with an interesting coincidence (?) side note. Please pay a visit to the memorial site of Susan "Ethel" Standerfer Stinson and her poem NOT GROWING OLD. My wife was born on the day that this dear saint passed into His Glory.

10/04/2003

Just a short comment regarding the "10 Commandment" battle. 1) Many commentators are correct in their observation that the 10 Commandments are distinctively Jewish rather than Christian. Thus, they're puzzled by the various parties in protest. They fail to understand that a majority of Jews have long abandoned their orthodox religion, and further fail to see that the Christianity of Europe and America has been "Judaized" --erroneously synthesizing principles of Judaism with things Christian. 2) Maintaining the 10 Commandments as a 'legal philosophy' historical reference point has succeeded in several battles across in Nation. Two documents of interest: CONSTITUTIONAL GUIDELINES FOR DISPLAYING RELIGIOUS DOCUMENTS ON PUBLIC PROPERTY and The Law on "The Law": Why Roy Moore Lost

9/20/2003

Translation work has recently begun on a Russian version of Miles Stanford's THE NEW BIRTH EXPLAINED. Global search engines, like Google, will be used by Russian-speaking people around the world to find the pamphlet online, while printed copies will likely be produced for indigenous believers. Those wishing to specifically participate in this effort can direct funds to the project via the PayPal link on the AboutUs page.

9/18/2003

For the homosexual, tolerance and cultural acceptance will never be enough. Their efforts to silence critics and obtain legal recognition for so-called "gay marriage" represent hollow gains in a hopeless quest for cathartic "approval". However, nothing but repentance toward sin and reconciliation with God the Father via the Son will bring relief from the severe psychological and spiritual torment brought about by the reprobate mind. "...God gave them over to a depraved mind..." -- Romans 1:28.

9/12/2003

Interesting email continues to reach our mailbox. As the West's cultural decay continues, a number of correspondents express frustration and angst over the collapse of social and cultural norms and the growing sense of alienation experienced on a day-to-day basis. Most don't understand the what and why of what's happening (we attempt to provide answers here at withChrist.org)--and thus the Irish saying holds true, "For the blind, all things are sudden." Many turn to a local "church", only to find their despair compounded in that the problems have entered into those domains as well. Anger or tears is a common reaction. Various types of 'crusade' and 'revival' efforts abound--but little truly changes. So-called 'promise keepers' are doing a particular poor job at keeping their promises--thus reinforcing a low status-quo. Problems are often addressed with superficial remedies. We're often asked, "Where can I find a good church?" or "Where can I find a group who share the views expressed on your websites?" The truth of matter is that we live in difficult times and such finds are rare. Miles Stanford would often say, "It's going to get much worst, before it gets better." His pessimism was based on the modern, even postmodern, trend away from sound doctrine.

9/6/2003

Of interest to readers may be the September 8, 2003 Newsweek article entitled, Why 4 of 5 Autistic Children Are Male - Boys, Girls and AUTISM - What Science Tells Us About How Our Brains Work, written by senior editior Geoffrey Cowley. With all the positive excitement over "Queer Eye for a Straight Guy", it seems appropriate that Cowley should showcase the latest medical/psycholological theory. The article reinforces the general thesis of Lionel Tiger's THE DECLINE OF MALES--i.e., wherein Western culture's feminist hegomony (power cartel in the gender war) is in the process of defining "masculinity" and "maleness" as a disease--i.e., even a "devastating neurological disorder". This is not as silly as it may sounds; the feminists are dead serious. Read the Newsweek article and listen and watch for the subtle anti-male innuendos.

While Mr. Tiger's Darwinian and naturalist worldview renders him impotent in explaining human origins and accurately defining human nature, he does a good job in seeking to identify and document the radical sociological changes regarding gender which began in the '50-'60s and hit a milestone with Roe v. Wade. Mr. Tiger presents much evidence and builds a strong case to support the thesis that a majority of women living in industrial societies today have experienced a deep and profound shift of consciousness (similar to a religious conversion or cult brainwashing) based on the advent of modern contraception (The Pill) and the Supreme Court's sanction of abortion. For women, both contraception and abortion validate the widespread humanistic tenet of absolute human autonomy. Roe v Wade did not simply legalize the murder of millions of innocents, it was a sudden and pervasive indoctrination for women into the cult of autonomy. Only a small handful of the feminine gender (those with philosophic anchors into biblical truth) have been able to effectively resist. In our opinion, it is not coincidental that women make up a majority of liberals, New Age devotees, and members of Anglo-Catholic denominations--all sharing common humanistic dogmas.

9/1/2003

See...as we promised, we're back and yes... we see added performance. There is still adjustment to be made, but from our end we are experiencing a definite improvement in load time. As our server "learns" the access patterns of visitors, the performance will improve even further. Enjoy!

8/30/2003

I've consolidated a number of MJS articles regarding Israel's New Covenant. See Are Christians Under Any "New Covenant"? I'm working on a graphic to help readers grasp the issues and hope to publish shortly.

8/28/2003

Since withChrist.org's performance still does not meet our expectations, we are changing the hosting company...again, and purchasing a premium service. We'll get this right sooner or later. We may be down for a day or two while we move the sites. Please be patient.

8/27/2003

My planned surgery (mention below at 8/16) went well and I'm in the recovery mode. A special thanks to those who upheld us in prayer during this time. While in the hospital, I got an opportunity to catch up on some reading and also think about creating a new diagram which will hopefully help readers grasp the difference between God's covenants with Israel and his blessings given to Christ's heavenly Bride--the Church.

8/24/2003

We wish to call to your attention an excellent resource regarding all things Islam.

"Most people in the West believe that Islam is a religion in the traditional sense of the word. However, this is a fateful misconception. Islam is not just a religion. It is much more than a religion. Muslims themselves describe their faith by saying, "Islam is a Complete Way of Life." This is certainly a more apt description, because Islam is a religious, social, economic, educational, health, political, and philosophic way of life. In fact, Islam is an all-embracing socio-politico-religious utopian ideology that encompasses every field of human endeavor.

"In order for Western peoples to understand Islam, they have to realize that Islam is more than a spiritual belief system. It is an all-encompassing ideology that seeks to regulate the world's political affairs according to Shari'a law. Islam conflicts with Western ideals of government and social order; and, because of the West's freedom, education, wealth, and military power, Islamic fundamentalism sees the West as its greatest obstacle to world leadership. Islamic fundamentalists find the West hindering its objectives in Africa, Southeast Asia, Palestine, and other parts of the world. Until the West understands the full scope and intent of Islamic political ideology, they will not understand Islamic fundamentalism's objectives. Typically, Western leaders think Islam is a just a competitor of Judaism and Christianity. However, Shari'a law gives a clear insight into Islam's objectives for a political and social world order. Islam challenges Western civilization itself, because it [Islam] is a "Complete Way of Life" — and its Shari'a Law is not compatible with Western ideals and civilization."

This quotation is from the excellent article, Islamic Law & its Challenge To Western Civilization at Muhammadanism.org. What seems to be unique about their website, is that its author (who justifiably remains anonymous) appears to clearly understand the general differences between the three monotheistic, so-called religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

8/16/2003: On August 25th, I will be having back surgery to address some chronic pain I've had to deal with over the past several months. A recent MRI clearly identified serious spinal stenosis in my lower back (L3 to S1), brought on by a combination of congenital and degenerative factors, plus several disk protrusions. I am confident that I am in the hands of a top-rated neurosurgeon and my sovereign Father. Nevertheless, we will appreciate your thoughts and prayers for a successful operation and speedy recovery.
8/15/2003: Based on interest level and requests, I've posted two new MJS polemic papers to the MJS site. The first, THE GREAT TRESPASS, is a historical evaluation of how dispensational leaders have "trespassed" upon Israel's promised New Covenant. Miles Stanford's central thesis is that this "trespass" creates a confusion and identify crisis within the heavenly Church. It begins with the subtle yet erroneous presupposition that members of Christ's Body are NOT "foreigners to the covenants" of Israel, are "grafted" into them, in contrast to being positioned "in Christ"--a special position. The second, TRANSFORMING GRACE, is a review of Jerry Bridges 1991 Covenant/Reformed-oriented book by that title. Enjoy!
8/3/2003: Poor Mel Gibson...so misunderstood? The Hollywood actor has locked horns with the 'politically-correct' media powerful. His soon-to-be-released movie on the crucifixion of Christ has drawn fire from an array of pundits and over-sensitive Jews. While we have not yet seen the movie (we will of course), the firestorm is on account of the fact that Mel's script accurately follows the biblical narrative and documents the culpability of high-ranking, religious Jewish leaders in the murder of Israel's (their own) Messiah as well as the Bridegroom of the Church. While the Catholic Church has made a mess of the issue, similar to so many other subjects, the importance of the historical narrative remains. We will be going through the Gospels and the Book of Acts to provide specific verses to support our comments...and poor Mel Gibson. As an ex-Catholic, I sort of like Mel--loads of heart but short on intellect--much like myself.

By the way, make sure you schedule to see the movie--Seabiscuit. In short, this is a beautiful, award-winning, slice of 1930s Americana together with human pathos to be appreciated.

8/1/2003: withChrist.org has moved to a new and faster server. We hope that our readership will experience some noticeable increase in responsiveness. Let us know if you sense a difference.
7/31/2003: A Culture in Collapse - Over the past several months, ultra-liberals in the United States Senate have fashioned an "anti-religious test" for judges nominated by the Administration to serve in higher judicial positions. While anti-Christian bigotry is really not new for the radical group, this recent expression of discrimination is full-blown and blatant. The liberals are aware that the U.S. Constitution forbids any "religious test" for holding public office, but based on their distorted and twisted understanding of "separation of church and state", they self-righteously block nominees based on a reserve test--i.e., that only atheists, naturalists, and individuals whose religious views are NOT "deeply held" are qualified to serve in public office! According to them, only individuals with superficial religious beliefs are fit for the bench. Thus, orthodox Jews, Christians or Catholics are disqualified from being appointed to serve in judgeships. The liberals are blocking any nomination of individuals with pro-life views, knowing full well that beliefs of most 'pro-lifers' are linked to the tenet that God exists and is not silent.
7/12/2003: The Bible is a collection of books, sixty-six 'God-breathed' revelations to be precise. There is a unity among these writings, as each bears the canonical mark of 'thus says the Lord.' The Bible's well-known division (39 books/27 books) into Old and New Testament is rooted in the history of the English Bible and Church history and can be highly misleading. In fact, the errors spawned by this false distinction have crippled the Church for many centuries. For example, Neil R. Lightfoot comments:

"The term testament is an unfortunate translation (Greek, diatheke) and would be better rendered as contract or covenant. Thus the basic structure of the Bible hinges on the idea that God has made two significant covenants with his people, and that the New Covenant has displaced the Old (Mosaic)."

Mr. Lightfoot makes a gigantic leap of logic in his statement. While it's true that diatheke is better translated covenant, the Bible speaks of several significant covenants, not just two, as well as other subjects of critical importance. While Scripture does disclose that Israel's New Covenant displaces the Old Mosaic, it is theological presumption to assume that this displacement has already taken place.
: I recently came across an interesting article written by Dr. Stephen R. Lewis* in the journal archive of Chafer Theological Seminary. Dr. Lewis is now President of Rocky Mountain Bible College and Seminary (RMBC**) in Denver, Colorado. In the his article, The New Covenant: Enacted or Ratified?, Dr. Lewis presents many arguments that the covenants of Scripture, and in particular the New Covenant, are exclusively Israel's. He begins by making a strong argument that Israel's New Covenant should not be made equivalent to Christ's shed Blood--keeping the two related, but separate. Nothing seems to stand in the way of the heavenly Church logically being the beneficiary of Christ's Blood. But on page 63 of the article, he abandons his line of argument (likely demonstrating the power of Scofieldism) and illogically breaches the separation between Covenant and Blood, Israel and the Church. He writes,

As the Abrahamic Covenant contains blessings that extend to the whole world, so does the New Covenant. For this reason, Gentiles may experience the blessings of the New Covenant by faith today.

This is the first baby step from Traditional to Progressive dispensationalism. True, the "whole world" (Gentile nations) receive blessing during the Millennium in fulfillment of Abrahamic promise. But this is not for the Church today. Paul explains in Romans that Gentiles are blessed with Abraham on the basis of sovereign grace and the principle of faith--the basis upon which blessings accrue in all ages. Further, New Creation Christians are blessed on the basis of being "in Christ" the Seed. The original promise of blessing to Abraham and his seed Christ finds fulfillment in the Millennium.

* Dr. Lewis has roots in Campus Crusade for Christ.

** RMBC's faculty includes adjunct professors Dr. Joseph Dillow and Dr. Robert Wilken.

6/14/2003

Popular in today's evangelical, even fundamental, circles is the concept of unconditional love and forgiveness. But is this teaching biblical? Read Is Unconditional Love Biblical? and tell us what you think. Please keep in mind that nothing said here is meant to call into question God's love or sovereignty, the unconditional nature of election and grace, our position in Christ, or eternal security. Believers today are faced with an emaciated Gospel, striped of the biblical concepts of accountability, judgment, and repentance, that is designed to appeal to the postmodern and relativistic sensibilities of our culture.

6/6/2003

Due to discussions regarding the importance of a dispensational view of Scripture and inerrancy, I've epublished Miles Stanford's paper entitled THE VERSE SNATCHERS. As you will find in the article, inerrancy by itself is insufficient to maintain a safe and sound Christian life and experience.

5/11/2003

The need for a formal statement regarding our view of doctrinal truth and error has been on my mind for some time. Occasionally, we receive an email scolding us and challenging the Christian's right to "judge" and point out doctrinal error. Given the postmodern ethos of today's culture, one should not be too surprised to receive such diatribes. Recently, I came upon some quotes that summarized fairly well our 'philosophy'. May God bring about a renewed appreciation for truth. Please read: withChrist.org: Philosophy Regarding Doctrinal Error.

5/9/2003

Diane and I will be taking a much deserved 'Spring Break'--May 14-28. Email will go unanswered during that timeframe; however, I will make an effort to get caught up before the end of the month. Readers continue to supply our mailbox with challenging questions and encouragement, and the Holy Spirit continues to give wisdom and provide insight for answering the needs.

4/27/2003

Hopefully, regular visitors to withChrist.org are clearly informed on the nature of America's raging culture war. Western societies are being torn from their historic Judeo-Christian roots by the pernicious philosophy of postmodernism. This plague is pervasive and advanced to the front doors of even the most conservative of churches. We have recommended several books designed to strengthen your intellect, awaken conscience and enhance Christian character.

Today, the evil advocates of both naturalism and secular humanism have become emboldened in their hate toward the religious tenets of conservative Christians. No more vivid expression of this is the vile and vicious attacks--anti-Christian bigotry--of contemporary homosexuals. As the point end of the liberal spear, their self-righteous zealotry is nothing less than a secular jihad of raw power. Their so-called "gay" community, along with left-wing sympathizers, are engaged in a deadly-serious propaganda war to demand western societies to fully accept their reprobate views (Romans 1:26-28).

Much is at stake in the current efforts to decriminalize sodomy in Texas. Opposition to their battle for influence is the basis for attacks on Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania. While one can argue that Mr. Santorum should have know better not to be figuratively lured into a dark alley by the AP reporter, he did show courage when baited by the journalistic thug. Sadly, such is current price for expressing one's Christian views in public-vicious intolerance. To equate opposition to homosexuality with racial discrimination is an expression of the their depravity.

4/18/2003

Over the past years, we have received thousands of positive and supportive emails. The handful of negative comments are surely not a surprise and I often pray that the Lord will give me wisdom regarding whether a response is appropriate or not. Interestingly, a common thread can be seen through the small minority of critics. For the most part, they ardently (yet erroneously) believe that the genuine mark of Christianity for today should be unity and peace--in all spheres.

Thus, our emphasis upon doctrine and the polemic discussions found at withChrist.org are offensive and emotionally upsetting to them. The fact that the Lord Jesus Christ said, "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword" is typically of no consequence in their thinking. In the context of Matthew 10:34-39, the term "sword" is figurative for division and conflict. Yet, these individuals have been mislead into believing that Millennial conditions (peace and diminished conflict) should be the current social expectation and their frustration with this contradiction is vividly and vocally apparent. America's recent war of liberation in Iraq has fueled the fore-mentioned frustration.

Most critics seem younger, often raised in some nominally religious home, with little-to-no direct knowledge of the Bible, the transition period of the Synoptic Gospels, nor of Paul's Epistles. Their objections seldom make intellectual sense, and typically amount to emotional-based laments. Rather than being interested in or open to what the Bible has to say about the Christian faith, they seek to impart their vision of how they believe it ought to be. As Dr. Francis Schaeffer warning three decades ago, society in general is largely motivated by two impoverished values: personal peace and affluence. Add some postmodern 'groupthink' and people believe they are free to define Christianity anyway they so choose. Please pray that God the Father will continue to grant me long-suffering toward those who are the victims of such misunderstanding.

4/5/2003

We highly recommend the book UNVEILING ISLAM - An Insider's Look At Muslim Life and Beliefs, by Ergun and Emir Caner. The Canar's have created a compendium of knowledge on Islam and its founder in an easily readable, 256 page format. Raised Shiite Muslim, the Caner brothers relate their story of coming to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and the resulting "painful destruction of relationships." The authors' Preface and Introduction document events not all that dissimilar to my own escape and journey from Catholicism and evangelical humanism. The twin evils of Islam and Catholicism threaten and attack Christians worldwide.

As you begin this investigation into Islam, its teachings, and its adherents, we want you to see the human side of religion--where faith often means the total rejection of culture, ethnicity, family, and friends.

* The corrosive effect of viewpoints espoused by radical, New-Age liberal, Oprah Winfrey and her billion dollar media machine. "People will...worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth." 2 Tim. 3:2-7.

3/15/2003

My dear wife Diane sent me a link to an article entitled The Certainty Crisis by David Brooks of the political webzine THE WEEKLY STANDARD. I couldn't help but lift a quote found in the article and create some humor a lá Wiley Miller. See my own here. Plus, wonders near cease. We are sad to inform our readership that a Jewish sect has just "butchered" God. Yes, let's see if the charismatics can match this! Word is made flesh as God reveals himself... as a fish. And my children wonder if I have any sense of humor. :-)

3/10/2003

We request the prayers of our family of friends and supporters for my youngest son. I am proud to say USAF Capt. Mark is serving our country as an F16 fighter pilot and has been involved in putting an end to Saddam Hussein's hideous and brutal regime. Please pray for Mark's combat safety and spiritual well-being.

3/9/2003

From time-to-time, we receive requests to publish a doctrinal statement, but I am not yet motivated to invest the time necessary to create such. So far, we have found a few good dispensational 'Statements of Faith', yet none which clearly expresses our Pauline Dispensational perspective. Key to understanding the views set forth at withChrist.org is our understanding of the Gospel. In contrast to those traditions which make no distinction between Israel and the Church and see only one Gospel and one homogeneous people of God from Genesis to Revelation, we believe the advent of the Church, the Body of Christ, began at Pentecost (Acts 2) and will end with the Rapture. Further, we believe that the NT contain not one but three Gospels. We have published Chapter 11 of Miles J. Stanford's book Pauline Dispensationalism, including some additional comments to address the issue of post-Acts 2 Dispensationalism. See DISTINCTIVE GOSPELS. The point of these distinctions, found in the transitional portions of Scripture, is not that they have nothing to say to believers today. Rather, the critical point is that believers should be focused upon and embracing that portion of revelation addressed specifically to them and not seeking to live in the past no matter how attractive the historical period may have been.

3/7/2003

Having listened to the anti-war rhetoric of the Vietnam era, recent protest over the impeding war and conflict with Saddam's regime in Iraq are to me like fingernails drawn across a classroom blackboard. Not much has changed. The same lame arguments by pacifists and liberals (both secular and religious) are being recycled. War is mostly brutal, hideous, and ugly. However, there can be a proverbial "silver lining". To that end, please read and share WAR can be GOOD.

2/23/2003

Tragically, knowledge of the Bible (Latin - biblia, meaning books) seems at an all time low. The average American or European holds the notion that it is one book with many chapters (written by fallible men, and abandoned by a deistic deity), rather than a collection of 66 sacred books, written by several Divinely-chosen and supernaturally inspired individuals who spoke different languages, plus lived in different times and at different geographic locations. Each of the 66 books (revelation) are unique in that God is its ultimate Author. The first group to formally "acknowledge" the unique character of the biblical writings (Canon) was the Roman Catholic Council of Hippo in 393 A. D. Thirty nine (39) of these books were written prior to Jesus Christ's birth and twenty seven (27) after His death. Simplistically categorizing the 39 and 27 books as Old and New Testaments was a colossal human mistake and has been a source of misunderstanding for nearly two millennia. Those 27 books written after the death of Christ (Matthew to Revelations) and commonly referred to as the New Testament (NT) (testament is better translated covenant) are not focused upon the "New Covenant" promised to the nation of Israel. Rather, this group of writings largely contain the Epistles, written by the Apostle Paul, to the Church which was a mystery hidden in ages past.

Given the fact that the NT writings carry this diversity, it is only logical that differences in subject matter and emphasis will be seen among the various sources. We have titled and linked MJS's brief explanation of this matter -- AUTHORITIVE VOICES FROM THE FIRST CENTURY. By understanding Scripture dispensationally, one can better understand the differences in emphasis. For example, the book of James, (written by the half-brother of Jesus and leader of the Jewish Jerusalem council--Acts 15), has been a perennial problem for grace-oriented believers. Reformation leader Martin Luther called the book, an "epistle of straw"--possibly making illusion to 1 Corinthians 3:12. Had the Reformer clearly seen the Scriptural difference between his relationship to earth and heaven, the flesh and the Spirit, and Judaism and Christianity, he might not have resorted to disparaging "James is the most elementary of all the epistles. It was not addressed to the Church, but to the twelve tribes that were scattered by the persecution at Jerusalem (Acts 8:1). It was written at the time when many thousands of Jews which believed were still under the law (Acts 21:20), and does not contain the truths that are distinctly Christian." James seeks to deal with the deeply-entrenched hypocrisy among the tribes similar to Paul's mention in Romans 2:21-23.

2/15/2003

The "knowledge crisis" is pervasive. Filling the vacuum are Islamic terrorist who believe they have a sure word from Allah. Several years ago, we added Dr. Robbins succinct summary of the problem. See Crisis of the Age. Long overdue, I've included the standard question and our brief response as #1 in our FAQs.

2/7/2003

Again, we seek to alert readers to the proliferation of financial scams aimed at evangelical, 'born-again' Christians and other religious Americans. It seems the church is always last to know! Healthy skepticism of the world, double for the 'religious' world, is not evidence of a lack of faith. One example, a 'born again' version of the standard Nigerian bogus check laundering or advance-fee scheme is being sent to Christian ministries. The solicitation contains many Scriptural references to Christian charity (often including testimony of a Muslim conversion to Christ), together with a plea for you to help free and protect funds trapped in a foreign country. But what is really happening is that you are the naive participant in a ploy to defraud either you or the U.S. banking system. If you fall for the bait, you'll typically be instructed to deposit a large counterfeit check or draft (received via mail) into your own bank account and then be instructed to wire, after a normal hold period, a majority of these funds to bank accounts outside the United States. As soon as the check bounces, you'll receive a phone call from the banker asking you to make good on the loss! In the 'advance fee' scam, you're simply asked to send money (a fee) in exchange for their promise to return your money along with a health dividend for your trouble. But "a fool and his money are soon parted." Given recent reports that tens of millions of dollars are being channeled out of the United States by these means, we might conclude that America has truly become a land of 'get-rich-quick' fools.

1/19/2003

None will argue that the Internet, with its sophisticated and effective search tools, has caused a revolution in mankind's ability to both speak (publish) and hear (read) vast volumes of information. By its very nature, it facilitates "freedom of speech"--a Constitutional right for Americans under the First Amendment to the Bill of Rights. Likewise, the Internet is a threat to those societies or even individuals who lack appreciation for such freedoms. For example, militant Muslims see the technology of the Internet as a serious obstacle to their goal of establishing a worldwide Islamic theocracy. Thus, cyber-terrorists are busily working to paralyze the world wide web in conjunction with their larger goal of destroying western civilization. See THE NEW WORLD WAR, John Clark Mead, Xulon Press, 2002. Further, as we've mentioned in prior years, the rise of postmodern philosophy and its selective 'tolerance', seeks to marginalize and silence those who are "politically incorrect."

One might think that efforts to stifle speech and discussion and the flow of information would not be a concern for Christians--but not so! In the seven years withChrist.org has been on the Internet, we have survived two denial-of-service (DOS) attacks related to efforts at bringing down our websites and thus silence us. From time-to-time, we also receive email from individuals demanding that we remove all reference to them, their views, and related opinions expressed on our websites. Some demands appear designed to intimidate and thus include threats of legal action.

As stewards of the Lord Jesus Christ, we seek to avoid any carnal entanglement with those who ignore the biblical standards set forth in 1 Corinthians, Chapter 6. Conversely, neither are we willing to surrender our First Amendment right of freedom of speech to appease those who are unhappy or outright angry with what we have to say. Our standard for publication is to be as fair and objective as possible, and are willing to review and revise any inaccurate statements where reasonable supporting documentation is provided.

In an effort to maintain this ministry, we invite supporters to contribute to the withChrist.org Legal Defense Fund. Your gift will be placed in a reserve and utilized in the event we are forced to respond to any formally-filed complaint

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