What I Was Posting When...

2003

FEB 20 - Christian Coalition's Symposium on Islam, Post #1

MAR 04 - Christian Coalition's Symposium on Islam, Post#38: Followup

OCT 11 - Post#11: Towards a Biblical Home-Church Ecclesiology

OCT 18 - Post#15: Followup

OCT 20 - Post#16: Butterflies in the Ekklesia

OCT 22 - Post#23: Food for Thought

OCT 22 - Post#25: Prescriptions for Worship

OCT 23 - Post#29: Followup

OCT 23 - Challenge to YECs regarding Egyptian Chronology, Post #86: A Question for the Skeptics

OCT 25 - Post#39: Lone-Ranger Christians

OCT 29 - Post#42: How Do We Do It?

OCT 31 - Is Christianity Cruel?, Post#27: I'm Beginning to Wonder About Some of You...

OCT 31 - Molinism: Q & A (Continuation), Post#62

NOV 01 - Molinism: Q & A, Post #66: Mars Hill or The Matrix Reloaded?

NOV 02 - Post#30: Followup

NOV 03 - Molinism: Q & A, Post#69: Some Links to Consider

NOV 04 - New Covenant Theology, Post#34: For Joel

NOV 04 - Post#71: Questions for the Molinian Logician

NOV 05 - NCT, Post #36: A Couple of Things

NOV 07 - Post#77: Argh (Molinism)

NOV 07 - Post#79: Actualizing the Counterfactuals

NOV 13 - Post#93: Molinism Q & A Continuation

NOV 13 - Post#96: Followup

NOV 17 - How Does Molinism Get God Off The Hook?, Post#11: Leave it to the Catholics to dupe people...

NOV 17 - Post#99: Followup

NOV 17 - Post#101: Followup

NOV 18 - Post#104: Followup

NOV 18 - Post#105: One More

NOV 25 - Post#108: SAME Circumstances = DIFFERENT Results

NOV 26 - Calvinist Prooftexts, Post#7: Lamentations 3:37-40

NOV 26 - God So Love The World, Post #118

NOV 26 - Post #36: Gun Control (& Cain)

NOV 26 - Post #168: Concerning the Nature of the Will

NOV 26 - Calvinist Prooftexts, Post #22: Followup

DEC 15 - Halting problem vs Molinism and Calvinism, Post #25: I Like Solly

DEC 15 - Election, Free-Will and Molinism, Post #1

DEC 15 - Identity of Trinity & Members of Family, Post #32: Was the Serpent a Female?

DEC 23 - What is the Biblical Support for Irresistible Grace?, Post #12: 2 Pet 3:9 (US!)

DEC 30 - OT vs NT Salvation: What's Changed?, Post #235: Faith in WHOM

2004

JAN 02 - New Year Pep Talk for the Calvinists here, Post#13: Thanks

JAN 02 - Election, Free-Will and Molinism, Post#13: Followup

JAN 03 - What Epistemology Does God Use?, Post#10: You're Going to Hate Me...

JAN 03 - " ", Post#16: Foreknowledge & Election

JAN 05 - Romans 11 & Arminianism, Post #1

JAN 17 - Statute of Limitations on Matt 19:9, Post#24: Divorce - Which Covenant?

JAN 19 - PresidentMatch.com, Post#1

JAN 19 - Hitler's Forgotten Library, Post#2: Accurate Reflection of the Man?

JAN 20 - " ", Post#9: Genealogy and Judaism

JAN 23 - " ", Post#12: Jews & the Y-Chromosome

JAN 23 - " ", Post#13: Followup

JUL 31 - 165-166 / 240 yr gap in Judaism

AUG 01 - Post #3: Persian Kings List vs Jewish Kings List

AUG 01 - Post #6: New Moon Calendar vs Hillel's Rabbinic Calendar

AUG 04 - Post #8: The Six Calendars of the Ancient Hebrews

AUG 04 - Post #9: Torah Nation and Idiot Christ-ians (those who follow the Anointed One)

AUG 06 - Post #11: followup to previous

AUG 08 - Post #13: Karaite Kalendar

AUG 09 - Post #15: Renumbering the Months

AUG 12 - Post #20: Loose Ends

2005

An Open Response to Sam Waldron & John MacArthur!

Dr. Sam Waldron wrote a friendly response to Dr. John MacArthur after his opening message "Why Every Self-Respecting Calvinist Is/Should Be a Premillennialist" at the 2007 Shepherd's Conference. I thought that Sam did a wonderful job (what I've read so far), particularly on pg. 42 where he says:

In the immediately preceding context of Galatians 6:16, Paul is engaged in a polemic against those whe were compelling the Galatians to be circumcised (Gal 6:12). Paul pursues this polemic by affirming that those who do this do not even keep the law themselves (Gal 6:13). He then asserts the true boast of the Christian is the crucifixion of Christ, not the circumcision of his flesh (Gal 6:14). Following this, Paul emphatically declares that in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision matters, but a new creation (Gal 6:15). Now, in this context, would it not be startling, to say the least, for Paul to finish his polemic by referring to a subgroup of Christians who are distinguished precisely by their circumcision? Think of it. Paul has just said that circumcision means nothing in Christ. But now, according to the Dispensational interpretation, in the very next verse, Paul supposedly distinguishes between Jewish and Gentile Christians by exclusively awarding to Jewish Christians the honorable title, "Israel of God." And he does this solely on the basis of their circumcision. This would be a startling and, indeed, exceedingly unnatural thing for Paul to do-especially in this context. ...It is the new creation-not circumcision or uncircumcision-that makes a man a member of the Israel of God.

This is good stuff! But what Waldron gives with the right hand, he takes away with the left. For on pg. 66 while talking about Michael Vlach's position that "the Church cannot be Israel because a special place remains for Israel in the unfolding of redemptive history," Waldron says this:

In my previous comments I, too, have granted this is the case. It is certainly true that the gospel is to the Jew first and also to the Greek (as Paul says in Romans). It is certainly true that ETHNIC Israel has a place in the purpose of God. Romans 11 predicts that in EVERY generation God IS COMMITTED to saving a remnant of believing Jews. OLD Israel-ETHNIC Israel-HAS a STRATEGIC place in the purposes of God. This does not mean, however, that the Church is not the New Israel of God composed both of the remnant of believing Jews and the believing Gentiles who are grafted in to the one olive tree of God's covenant promises and people.

In conclusion, there is a DISTINCT PLACE for ETHNIC Israelites prior to salvation. But, there is no distinct place for them afterwards.

Unbelievable! One wonders if Waldron believes this how he could write what he wrote against MacArthur and why he left out the portion of MacArthur's message about modern Jews being the literal, GENETIC descendants of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob/Israel in his appendix (pg.146)? He said (in a chapter that I've not yet read):

I do not know for sure if MacArthur was serious, half-serious, or kidding when he spoke of modern Israel having DNA tests for Jewish ethnicity in his message. I do know that he thinks that being a physical Jew is essential to be Jewish.

And yet, Waldron again omits MacArthur's statement when he quotes him on pg. 103.

Why? Does he disagree? Does he think it's a ludicrous position? Is he trying to protect MacArthur? And is this not essentially the same position that he himself holds?!?

John MacArthur said:

It should be noted that Jews STILL EXIST today. That's interesting, isn't it? Have you ever met a Hittite? How about an Amorite, a Hivite, or a Jebusite? Anybody know any of those folks? How about an Agagite?

Now listen to what else John had to say, the omitted quote about DNA & modern Jews.

Of course, the answer is no, no one has met anyone from any of those groups of people, but neither have they met a modern Israelite! Modern DNA testing doesn't PROVE that someone is Jewish for there would by necessity have to be a known ancient Jew's DNA to compare against. Not to mention all of the other BIBLICAL and HISTORICAL hindrances. Let me name just a few:

BIBLICAL
1) Israelites were to maintain their genealogies.
2) Israelites were NOT to intermarry.
3) Israelites were REQUIRED to KEEP the covenant in order to remain IN the covenant community, otherwise they were CUT-OFF from the people of God.

HISTORICAL
1) The entire 10 Northern Tribes were carried away into captivity by the Assyrians in 722 B.C. and amalgamated into their culture, intermarrying with the various peoples of the lands.
2) The remaining 2 Southern Tribes were taken into captivity by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. and dispersed with finality in A.D. 70 leaving no historical, identifiable trace.

See: What I wrote in Sept 2006 about Romans 11 & The Future of Israel
See: DNA & 12 Generation Chart (w/32 Generations figured)

Millennial Manifesto: Why Every Self-Respecting Calvinist Should Be a Premillennialist --by John MacArthur

Dr. Sam Waldron recently visited our church and had some of his books for purchase. His latest is "MacArthur's Millennial Manifesto: A Friendly Response." I picked it up along with a couple of others.

I must say I was a little shocked to read the transcribed words of John. Knowing that he is a die-hard Dispy is one thing, but to see/hear him attack his brethren for the historical Christian position, which Waldron so clearly points out, takes me aback.

And even though Waldron reprints the entire "message" as an appendix in his book, I decided to look online to hear the man for myself. Here is what I found:

Apparently, the message may be called "Get Israel Right, Get Eschatology Right" (STREAMING AUDIO)

"Why Every Self-Respecting Calvinist Should be a Premillennialist" (STREAMING AUDIO)

Some pastor named Jim McClarty of TN who feels the same way and has messages on Romans.

John MacArthur's radio version w/accompanying transcript.

An article that I want to read later by him on "Do We Need the Local Church?"

Kim Riddlebarger's response to John's opening message for the Shepherd's Conference.

And a MP3 message by him called "A Problem for Preterists"

And a website called Faith by Hearing that talks about the controversy that looks interesting...

There are notes from the 2007 Shepherd's Conference available online, but I didn't see any reference to John's opening "message" there.

Full Color Bible

Standard Publishing has put out a Full-Color Bible. This looks like the old Rainbow Study Bible to me, but who knows... It's similar to what I've been doing for years.

Road ID

Speaking of Trucking, since the (idiot) doctors diagnosed me with Epilepsy (which I don't have) and ruined my life/career, I am now the proud wearer of an ID bracelet. And what other ID bracelet would a trucker wear, but a RoadID:



Ok, this isn't ACTUALLY what my ID has on it, but mine is red. I got an email from Edward over at RoadID today offering me a Christmas discount if I wanted to buy a new one. Perhaps in pink...?

Poster: Highway Signs

Being a trucker (well, "former" - but when you do something for your entire adult life you tend to identify with it even when you're not associated with it anymore...) and a Christian this poster made me smile:



It reminded me a gospel presentation that John MacArthur had on his website years ago that was very similar.

Christianity, Cults & Religions

Get a pamphlet to put in your Bible to have ready to share with that cultist at your door, or to witness to someone who interrupts you while you're reading or to use as a jumping off point for comparing their god to yours.

Comes in a wall chart version as well. Great for a Sunday School room.