My teaching again on the beholding joy of Jesus. Notes. Audio 1. Audio 2. Video Part 1. Video Part 2. 

Don’t go where it is all fine music and grand talk and beautiful architecture; those things will neither fill anybody’s stomach, nor feed his soul. Go where the gospel is preached, the gospel that really feeds your soul, and go often - Spurgeon

"O sweet exchange! O unsearchable operation! O benefits surpassing all expectation! That the wickedness of many should be hid in a single righteous One, and that the righteousness of One should justify many transgressors!"

Epistle to Diognetus, Ch 9, c AD 150

My teaching on the gospel from the gospel of Matthew. Audio 1. Audio 2.

He is returning for a church dressed in humility and sackcloth. A church that embodies his beatitudes. - TJ Sewob

The sad thing about replacement theology is that if you wash out the nation of Israel from the ongoing redemptive storyline, which requires you to insert the Church into every Old Testament prophecy through a spiritualized fulfillment scheme, you just miss out on so much of the glory and beauty of what Jesus will do when he returns. -Travis M. Snow

Among protestants who recite creeds in worship, it is most common to introduce them with the question, "Christians, what do you believe?" It would be more in keeping with the way the early church developed its creeds to begin, "Christians. In whom do you believe?" -Donald Fairbairn 

Early Christians used the other books, (what we call the Apocrypha) as aids to the interpretation of the true Old Testament without regarding these apocryphal books as part of the authoritative Old Testament. - Donald Fairbairn

In addition to these weekly and daily rhythms adapted from Judaism, Christians also inherited the Jewish focus on the goal toward which history was moving, the eschaton (Greek for the end). Because Christians believed that Jesus was the Jewish Messiah, the more general Jewish hope for the day of the Lord was refocused around the return of Christ. Indeed, in the earliest church, expectation of Christ return was so hot that some people apparently stopped their daily routines to wait for it. -Donald Fairbairn 

On the Day of the Lord, will we be found to have persevered in obedience to what Jesus taught?

Will we have loved our enemies, prayed for those who persecuted us, not retaliated against those who wronged us, and not given up when it got hard?

Help, Lord.- Joshua Hawkins

The phrase "the kingdom of god is at hand" is commonly but wrongly used by Kingdom Now advocates. The actual phrase is "repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand." It's the same as Isaiah saying "Weep, wail, for the Day of the Lord is at hand." It's simply a statement of urgency. - Joel Richardson

Of course, in highlighting the Messiah-centricity of Scripture, one must acknowledge both the first and the second coming of Jesus. Modern Christians most often major in the prophecies that point to the first coming of Jesus, and minor in the prophecies that speak of His second coming. The fact of the matter however is that the primary emphasis of Scripture is the second coming. Far more prophecies address the second coming than the first. - Joel Richardson

The best way to stand and fight is to sit before feet. - Aaron in Writing

Theology 101: Christians should no more desire the kingdoms of this world than did their Lord (Matthew 4:8-9). The closer we cozy up with the rulers of this world, the farther we stray from the Kingdom of the Son.- Dr. Michael Svigel

...it’s a very important point and the scriptures emphasize that the Spirit is now as the deposit and guarantee of the kingdom that is to come in the future. Every healing, miracle, and spiritual gift is a sign pointing to the coming kingdom. - Jeremy Jarvis

Theology 101: Too often I pray for “words to say” when I should be praying for “ears to hear.” - Dr. Michael Svigel

Theology 101: Do the math. Reacting to wickedness with wickedness does not bring righteousness but double wickedness. - Dr. Michael Svigel

The Ultimate Triumphal Entry

Why do I care so much about the question as to whether the kingdom of God is now or not yet? Beyond the fact that it is simply what the Bible teaches, the notion that the kingdom of God is now actually hurts people. It turns the gospel into a therapeutic self-help message.

The Bible becomes a mere manual on how to have a happy and prosperous life. Of course, it has plenty of principles that make life better. But that is not its primary thrust.

The driving emphasis of the Gospel has always been a message of hope for persecuted, hated, struggling minorities, the suffering, wounded, little ones. People like you and me. Someday, the One who made us loves us enough to actually come back to save us and fix this damn mess.

-Joel Richardson 

The wonderful thing about the Bible is that it tells the same story over and over again in numerous ways. Whenever a theme is important, it will be repeated multiple times throughout the Bible. When something is important from a prophetic perspective, the Bible will make that point abundantly clear by reiterating it dozens of times in numerous different passages. It is through taking note of the commonly repeated themes that one is able to grasp the “big-story” of Biblical prophecy. - Joel Richardson

One of the characteristics of Western thought is that we like to organize and classify things into neat categories. Westerners like to systematize everything including our theology. We may even attempt to dissect the living Word of God as if it is a frog in a high school science lab. As such, when attempting to interpret and understand the Bible, we often attempt to define each verse or passage as if it is speaking of either the historical or the future fulfillment, as if it must be one or the other. But we need to understand that the Bible is an Eastern book and is not necessarily written with a Western mindset. And so, almost as if to drive Westerners crazy, we frequently find in the Scriptures passages which simply intermingle the historical and the future into one seamless passage. Consider for example the following classic passage:

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this. —Isaiah 9:6-7

This passage speaks as if the primary purpose of this child, this son, is to vindicate Israel over and against her enemies. Consider what the child brings about: Israel’s boundaries will be expanded, the yoke that burdens the Jewish people will be shattered, warriors’ boots and blood will be a thing of the past. This child will bring in everlasting Peace. Yet the child has come, but the remainder of the prophecy has not yet been fulfilled. Israel is still oppressed. Wars continue. Within this passage there is a two thousand year pause or gap. Yet a face value reading of this passage gives no real indication of this. In one seamless passage, we have both the historical (the child was born) and the future fulfillment (He will rule, and shatter the rod of oppression and bring in everlasting peace). As much as we in the West like to approach a passage and divide it up into neat categories of historical or future, oftentimes, both elements are intertwined. Sometimes a passage may be partially historical with shadows of futuristic prophecies. Other times a prophet may be speaking almost entirely of the future with only a slight shade of historical emphasis. Other times yet, a passage may be entirely futuristic or historical.

How then are we to understand such passages? The answer lies in understanding the big story that all of the prophets are telling and identifying the commonly repeated themes which make up this big story. - Joel Richardson

My teaching on the value of human beings. Notes. Audio 1. Audio 2. Video. 

The Bible is and always has been, a thoroughly Jerusalem, Israel and Middle Eastern-centric book. As we will see, Biblical prophecy tells a very Jerusalem centered story. Jerusalem is the city that the entire story of the return of Jesus revolves around. This is the city from which Jesus will literally rule the earth after His return. This fact must not be missed. - Joel Richardson

The Bible is an unfolding story. And if we seek to properly understand the story the Bible is telling, we must begin at the beginning of the book approaching the story as it was written, as it unfolds and expands. - Joel Richardson

The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer. Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. —1 Peter 4:7-8

Tell everyone about the mercy of the Cross of the Messiah in light of the Day of the Messiah. Maranatha! 

Taken in its first century Jewish apocalyptic context, the Sermon on the Mount shows the God of Israel's zeal for the covenant he made at Sinai with the people of Israel. The Torah was not done away with. God still intends to set Israel apart and make them a light to the nations. - Joshua Hawkins

“The desire to be first is a disqualification for Christian leadership.” - D.A. Carson

Kingdom now theology inevitably results in atrocities. Only Jesus has the right to judge. - Joel Richardson

Read and tremble.

“These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Matthew 25:46

And shall we think these brief four score are the main reason for being? - John Piper

“None of the prophets seems enamored with being a prophet or proud of his attainment. The prophet bears scorn and reproach (Jer 15:15). He is stigmatized as a madman by his contemporaries… (Am 5:10)” - Abraham Heschel

“God knew what we were before conversion – wicked, guilty, and defiled; yet He loved us. He knows what we will be after conversion – weak, erring, and frail; yet He loves us.”- J.C. Ryle

Our missiology must be grounded in a firm Israelology. -Gabe Cali

BibleArc-Bracket of Matthew 24

If you want to understand the rapture you need to become a good student of the resurrection! - Brandon Emch

The early apostolic Church was thoroughly futurist, and thoroughly premillennial, but they were also thoroughly engaged. - Joel Richardson

I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn. (Zech. 12:10)

BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen. (Rev. 1:7)

You who lie in the dust, awake and shout for joy. - Isaiah 

Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake these to everlasting life. - Angel in Daniel

Some argue that certain passages in the New Testament suggest Jesus redefined "the kingdom of God" to be something "within you" or something that "comes upon you".

However, there is strong evidence to *not* read these few texts in that manner.

Jesus didn't redefine anything. - Josh Hawkins

The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime... But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh... (Romans 13:12-13)

“It can be difficult for Christians to accept that Jesus was not a Christian like them but, unlike them, was Jewish and deeply absorbed in a set of beliefs and practices that are unfamiliar to contemporary Christians. 

Christianity as we know it today did not exist at the time of the New Testament. There were those who had come to believe that Jesus was the Messiah of Israel, but Christianity as a religion distinct from Judaism only emerged centuries later.”  - Matthias Henze

Peter the apostle: “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

"God cannot deal with Israel and omit the nations. By necessity the one is contingent upon the other. Therefore, no nation is exempt from inclusion, and must consider its course relative to Israel especially in that final sifting of Israel through the nations." - Art Katz

Christian, whatever befalls you, whoever abandons you, do not lose heart. Your Mediator and Saviour will love you to the end, He will not waver, and His reign is certain. It will be well for those who persevere in faith. In a short time you will see Him, and your joy will be full. - BA Purtle

Movements, fads, and methodologies will flash and plummet like shooting stars. 

Let us stick to believing and preaching the whole counsel of God, especially focused on the Person and Work of Jesus Christ the righteous.

So shall we be immovable in every age, unto the very end. - BA Purtle

Don't let your Bible collect dust on the shelf

To understand biblical eschatology, we need to move beyond the categories of modern Christian thought and think in terms of the motifs, symbols, and narratives that informed the eschatological worldview of Jesus himself, as a first-century Jewish man living in the Land of Israel.  

And like many Jewish people in his day, when Jesus was thinking of the end of this age and the establishment of God's kingdom, at the forefront of his mind was the original Passover story.

-Travis M. Snow

Many of us have our own pet sins, but if you indulge them long enough you'll be the one being walked, not the one holding the leash. - Nick Uva

Jesus says,

"Ask…seek…knock."

The Greek verbs could be translated as

"keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking."

Christ is wanting an ongoing conversation,

not just a one-time request. - Chad Bird

...the dead were still dead in Luke’s day, just as much as Israel remained dispersed and exiled. 

Luke, however, holds on to the joint hope in the revival of the dead and the rebirth of Israel...

Hope remains. God will have the final word.  - Isaac Woliver