CHRISTIANITY’S GROWTH IN IRAN

Evangelism, Optimism June 4, 2019 1 Comment

PMW 2019-045 by Afshin Ziafat (Desiring God)

Robert Bruce, a Scottish missionary to Iranian Muslims in the late nineteenth century, wrote home to his supporters, “I am not reaping the harvest; I scarcely claim to be sowing the seed; I am hardly ploughing the soil; but I am gathering out the stones. That, too, is missionary work; let it be supported by loving sympathy and fervent prayer.”

For many years, Iran was one of the most difficult regions of the world to reach with the gospel. A significant development occurred in 1979, however, with the Islamic Revolution in Iran. The ruling monarch, Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, was overthrown, and in his place an Islamic Republic was birthed, led by the Ayatollah Khomeini. Sharia law became the law of the land, and Muslim clerics became the heads of state. Continue reading →

THE ORDER OF BOOKS IN THE OT

Interesting Stuff, Old Testament May 31, 2019 Comments: 2

PMW 2019-044 by Zachary Garris

Gentry note: I thought this was an interesting article providing much food for thought.

Have you ever thought about why the Old Testament (OT) books are ordered the way they are in our English Bibles? If you have given this much thought, you have probably noticed that the English OT is ordered is by genre (history, poetry, prophecy). While understandable, this order has some serious shortcomings. More helpful is the order of the books that the ancient Israelites used, including Jesus.

Jesus Used the Hebrew Order

As mentioned in a previous article, Jesus used the three-fold division of the Old Testament used by the Jews in His day—the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings. Continue reading →

IS THE CHURCH OBSOLETE?

Uncategorized May 28, 2019 Leave a comment

PMW 2019-043 by R. J. Rushdoony

Is the church obsolete? The answer, clearly, is that many churches are. The basic definition of the word “obsolete” is “gone out of use.” Not too many years ago, a horse and buggy were necessary on most farms; today, they are obsolete, and, for much farming, even a barn is obsolete also. They have no real function or purpose in terms of the necessities of farm life today.

Is the same true of the church? The church is, by the definition of the Bible, the body of Christ, made up of His members, governed by His Word and ordained officers, and called together for worship by the preaching of the Word of God and the administration of the sacraments. Continue reading →

FOCUSING ON HIS COMING

Second Coming May 21, 2019 Comments: 2

Few doctrines of the Bible receive more attention among evangelicals today than the Second Coming of Christ. And since his Return is a foundational doctrine of the historic Christian faith, it well deserves our notice.

Unfortunately though, the Second Advent is more deeply loved and firmly believed than biblically understood. We tend to have a “zeal without knowledge” in approaching this doctrine. This is tragic in that properly comprehending it is vitally important for framing in a Christian worldview. After all, it exalts the consummate glory of his redemptive victory, completes the sovereign plan of God for history, and balances a full-orbed theology of Scripture. Continue reading →

OUR FUTURE HOPE

Uncategorized May 14, 2019 Leave a comment

PMW 2019-039 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

In his letter to the troubled Corinthian church, Paul lists three Christians virtues while exhorting them to a closer walk with Christ: faith, hope, and love (1 Cor. 13:13). This three-fold cord of holy values provides a strong bond of commitment for the Christian, and has tied the Church of Jesus Christ together throughout the ages.

Faith and love are not only beautiful threads knitting together the fabric of the Christian life, but are easily recognized as such. They weave a strong carpet for the Christian walk; they serve as dual strands tugging us forward in our holy calling. And though hope is certainly not a detached thread from the Christian garment, it has been snagged loose and at best is only partially visible to the eye of faith today. Continue reading →

WHY IS AD 70 IMPORTANT?

AD 70, apologetics May 9, 2019 Comments: 6

PMW 2019-038 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

Since “Moses and all the Prophets” point to the first century coming of Christ (Luke 24:27), we know the very “fulness of the time had come” (Gal. 4:4). This ample revelation in the Old Testament word prepares us for the abundant redemption in the New Testament world. All Christians are well aware of the unparalleled redemptive-historical significance of the incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of Christ. We are equally well apprised of His victorious pouring out of the Holy Spirit upon the Church in A.D. 30. But too few realize the significance of the pouring out of His holy wrath upon Jerusalem in A.D. 70. Continue reading →

PRETERISM IN HISTORY

History, Preterism May 3, 2019 Comments: 5

PMW 2019-036 Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

The preterist perspective is making its presence felt in current prophecy discussions. Unfortunately, dispensational eschatology, which arose in the 1830s and is built on the futurist system, thoroughly dominates evangelical preaching, education, publishing, broadcasting today, and day dreaming. Consequently, evangelical Christians are largely unfamiliar with preterism, making it seem to be the “new kid on the block.” Preterism, however, is as hoary with age as is futurism. And despite its overshadowing in this century, it has been well represented by leading Bible-believing scholars through the centuries into our current day.

PATRISTIC CHRISTIANITY

One of the best known and most accessible of the ancient preterists is Eusebius (A.D. 260-340), the “father of church history.” Continue reading →