Kenneth L. Gentry Jr.'s Blog, page 84

HOMOSEXUALITY AND GOD’S LAW (3)

[image error]PMW 2017-086 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

This is the third installment in outline form on this topic. For the full presentation, please begin at installment one (PMW 2017-084).

D. God’s Law continues today

1. Christ and God’s Law.

Matt 5:16–20: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.”

[image error]God’s Law Made Easy (by Ken Gentry)

Summary for the case for the continuing relevance of God’s Law. A  helpful summary of the argument from Greg L. Bahnsen’s Theonomy in Christian Ethics.

See more study materials at: www.KennethGentry.com

2. God’s law defines basic moral obligation (e.g., the golden rule)

“Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets” (Matt. 7:12).

3. God’s law defines love.

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said to him, You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets” (Matt. 22:36-40).

Love is not feeling or non-descript action. It is obedient action defined by the strictures of God-ordained Law.

4. Paul affirms God’s law.

Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law” (Rom. 3:31).

“Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good…. For we know that the law is spiritual” (Rom. 7:12, 14).

“But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully, knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust” (1 Tim 1:8-11; cp. Psa. 119:11).

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Nourishment from the Word

(by Ken Gentry)

Reformed studies covering baptism, creation, creeds, tongues, God’s law, apologetics, and Revelation

See more study materials at: www.KennethGentry.com

5. God’s law has just penal sanctions

Heb. 2:2: “For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense….”

Rom. 7:12: “Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.”

To be continued.

HOMOSEXUALITY AND GOD’S LAW (2)

[image error]PMW 2017-085 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

In the last article I introduced a brief outline survey of the Christian position against homosexual conduct. I continue this in this article.

II. BIBLICAL ISSUES

A. The New Testament condemns homosexual conduct

Rom 1:26-27: “For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.”

1 Cor. 6:9: “Do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals….”

Tim. 1:9-10: “Law is not made for a righteous man, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching.”

[image error]Homosexuality, Transgenderism, and Society

5 downloadable mp3s by Ken Gentry

The homosexual movement is one of the leading challenges to the moral stability of American culture and to our Christian influence in culture. In this sermon series Dr. Gentry tackles the homosexual question head on.

See more study materials at: www.KennethGentry.com

B. The Nature of God’s Law

1. God’s law represents God’s presence. It is written by the finger of God (Ex 31:18; 32:16; Dt 4:13; 9:10).

2. God’s law lies at the heart of the New Covenant.

Jer 31:32-33: “I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts.” And the new covenant was effected in the Upper Room: Matt. 26:28; Mark 14:24; Luke 22:20; 1 Cor. 11:25; 2 Cor. 3:7ff; Heb. 8:6ff.

3. God’s law reflects God’s character.

God is good (Mk 10:18; Psa. 143:10); the Law is good (Dt 12:28; Psa. 119:68; Rom. 7:12, 16). God is holy (Isa. 6:3; Rev. 15:4); the Law is holy (Num. 15:40; Rom. 7:12). God is perfect (2 Sam. 22:31; Psa. 18:30; Matt. 5:48); the Law is perfect (Psa. 1:25; Jms. 1:25). God is spiritual (John 4:24); the Law is spiritual (Rom. 7:14). God is righteous (Dt 32:4; Ezra 9:15; Psa. 116:5); the Law is righteous (Dt 4:8; Psa. 19:7; Rom. 2:26; 8:4). God is just (Dt 32:4; Psa. 25:8, 10; Isa. 45:21); the Law is just (Prov. 28:4,5; Zech. 7:9-12; Rom. 7:12).

C. The Law’s Purpose

1. God’s Law defines sin.

“Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4).

“For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law” (Rom. 5:13).

“On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, You shall not covet” (Rom. 7:7b).

Openness Unhindered (by Rosaria Butterfield)[image error]

Dr. Butterfield goes to great lengths to clarify some of today’s key controversies. She also traces their history and defines the terms that have become second nature today-even going back to God’s original design for marriage and sexuality as found in the Bible. She cuts to the heart of the problems and points the way to the solution.

See more study materials at: www.KennethGentry.com

2. God’s Law convicts of sin.

“What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, You shall not covet…. I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died…. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me” (Rom. 7:7, 9-11; cp. Jms. 2:9).

3. God’s Law condemns transgression.

“The law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression” (Rom 4:15).

“For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all” (Jms. 2:10).

“For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them” (Gal. 3:10). See also: Deuteronomy 11:26, 28.

4. God’s Law drives men to Christ.

“And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death” (Rom. 7:10).

“Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith” (Gal. 3:24).

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Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert

(by Rosaria Butterfield)

Remarkable testimony of a lesbian professor who was a leading spokesperson for

the feminist movement, but whom Christ saved.

See more study materials at: www.KennethGentry.com

5. God’s Law restrains evil.

When its breach is feared, it exercises a restraining power within the souls of men.

“But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully, knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust” (1 Tim 1:8-11; cp. Psa. 119:11).

6. God’s Law guides sanctification.

“For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (Rom. 8:3-4).

“To those who are without law, [I am] as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law” (1 Cor 9:21).

See also Leviticus 20:8; Psalm 119:105; and Proverbs 6:23.

To be continued in the next article.

HOMOSEXUALITY AND GOD’S LAW (1)

[image error]PMT 2017-084 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

In this four-part blog posting I will simply provide a rough sketch of the issues surrounding the homosexual issue from the perspective of God’s law. Perhaps this brie outline will be helpful to readers as they engage this large cultural issue. Postmillennialism entails a worldview that includes moral issues. Hence, the name of my blog: Postmillennial Worldview.

I. GENERAL MORAL ISSUES

A. Tolerance and Morality

The call to tolerance is a moral challenge. It must come from within some particular moral system. Moral systems must support and give meaning to public, universal, invariant moral principles. And they must be defensible within a broader worldview framework. The Christian perspective cannot be precluded at the outset.

Toleration has limits. Those limits must be defined by moral considerations. The tolerance of all opinions would lead to moral relativism which undermines a stable and just society. Such is self-refuting in that it destroys any moral objection to any action, including the call to tolerance itself. The very existence of a stable, orderly society militates against absolute moral toleration.

Evangelical Ethics (3d ed)[image error]

by John Jefferson Davis

One of the best treatments of contemporary ethical problems facing Christians. John Jefferson Davis brings mature biblical thought to issues such as homosexuality, genetics, abortion, euthanasia, war and peace, the environment, divorce and remarriage.

See more study materials at: www.KennethGentry.com

B. Civil legislation and Religion

The issue of civil legislation regarding homosexual conduct is not a question of whether values will be imposed, but whose values. All laws impose of values (we have different values from cannibals) or else laws =suggestions.

Law is an imposition of someone’s religious values: law is necessarily rooted in morality; morality in ideas of ultimacy and value; and ultimacy and value are religious conceptions not discovered in the laboratory or mathematical formulas. Therefore, all law is fundamentally religious in character.

We see this expressed in an important U. S. Supreme Court decision known as Abington v. Schempp (374 U.S. 203 [1963]):

“Nearly every criminal law on the books can be traced to some religious inspiration.” Zorach v. Clauson that “we are a religious people whose institutions presuppose a Supreme Being” (343 U.S. 306 [1952]).

Transforming Homosexuality[image error]

What the Bible Says about Sexual Orientation and Change

by Denny Burk and Heath Lambert

Is same-sex attraction sinful, even if it is not acted on? Denny Burk and Heath Lambert challenge misconceptions on all sides as they unpack the concepts of same-sex orientation, temptation, and desire.

See more study materials at: www.KennethGentry.com

C. Privacy Issue

Regarding anti-privacy laws, many laws restrict private acts. For example, American law prohibits polygamy, prostitution, incest, illegal drug use, bestiality, consensual sado-masochism, suicide, cruelty to animals, and so forth.

Privacy is one value among other competing values. At points of collision, privacy values must give place to other more fundamental values such as justice, security, and human life.

Private morality cannot be a matter of public indifference. Or else we will witness the progressive decline of moral values in society and the chaos that such brings. Such is detrimental to a society’s moral stability, its government’s legal substructure, the dignity of human life, and more.

Continued in the next blog posting.

CALVIN, PUBLIC TRAGEDY, AND POSTMILLENNIALISM

[image error]PMT 2017-081 by John Calvin

Note by Ken Gentry:

This citation of John Calvin was posted by American Vision on their website after the Las Vegas mass murder on October 1, 2017. Calvin was strongly committed to God’s sovereignty and held positions that aligned with postmillennialism. We must always keep our eyes heavenward, even in times of trial and tragedy. We must not be like Peter when walking on the water. When he took his eyes off of Jesus, he began to sink and cried out for help (Matt. 14:28–31). We must not be numbered among those “of little faith” who “doubt” (Matt. 14:31).

John Calvin wrote in his sermon on 2 Samuel 1:

“We can see how God is afflicting the world today. Even people who are strangers to us are related to us, because we are all made in the image of God, and have a common nature which should be a mutual bond of love and brotherhood. Then there is a far closer union between ourselves and the suffering of believers who are scattered here and there in all churches which God has chastened on every side.

Indeed, we see troubles everywhere; we see fires burning; we hear that the throats of poor innocent people have been cut; that they have been subjected to mockery and contempt, and that they are being led to the slaughter. We see the enemies of truth ready to annihilate everything, and we do not know what God is intending to do. Nevertheless, see how his sword is unsheathed. The fire, as I have said, is kindled and we do not know how far it will burn.

Let us thus allow ourselves to be genuinely touched by mourn-ing, anxiety and grief so that we will not be careless, hardened, or unfeeling over what our poor brothers are going through. Instead, let us have the kind of compassion towards them which members of the same body owe to one another. On the other hand, let us not give way to despair, like those who have become so grieved and full of lamentation that they refuse the remedy of consolation in God. Rather, let us confess our sins, knowing that our savior has not ceased to pour out his blessings upon us, even though we have sinned. Then, in the midst of our sorrows, let us recognize all our offenses so that he may show himself merciful to us, as he always has done to those who clearly take refuge in him.”

 

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Predestination Made Easy

(by Ken Gentry)

A thoroughly biblical, extremely practical, and impressively clear presentation of

the doctrine of absolute predestination.

See more study materials at: www.KennethGentry.com

Note by Ken Gentry:

We would do well to approach life as did John Calvin: in faith that God is sovereign and he is good. To many impatiently discount postmillennialism because they do not see the fulness of Christ’s victory in the present. They look at the storm and forget who controls the storm. The God of history is the God of the storm and the God of victory.

We must believe and understand that: “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Rom. 8:28). And though we see through a glass darkly, we must see through that glass faithfully, trusting that he “works all things after the counsel of His will” (Eph. 1:11).

Three Views on the Millennium and Beyond[image error]

(ed. by Darrell Bock)

Presents three views on the millennium: progressive dispensationalist, amillennialist, and reconstructionist postmillennialist viewpoints. Includes separate responses to each view. Ken Gentry provides the postmillennial contribution.

See more study materials at: www.KennethGentry.com

RAPTURE IN 1 THESSALONIANS 4?

[image error]PMT 2017-082 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

One of the key doctrines of populist dispensationalism is the doctrine of the secret Rapture. It is also one of the most familiar. Who has not see an “In Case of Rapture This Car Will Be Unmanned” bumper sticker? Just this very month a major warning of the Rapture was picked up on by the news media, creating much embarrassment for the evangelical Christian faith.

The Odd Problem

Oddly enough, one of dispensationalism’s major proof-texts for this bizarre doctrine is 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18. Yet this passage does not even suggest the doctrine, despite its popularity in the debate.

John Walvoord feels that “a careful study of this passage in 1 Thessalonians will do much to set the matter in its proper biblical revelation,” demonstrating “the difference between the Rapture of the church and Christ’s second coming to judge and rule over the earth.” [1]

Another dispensationalist author comments that “this is undoubtedly the primary passage on the Rapture of the Church.” [2] Benware agrees: “without a doubt this is the central passage on the rapture of the church.” [3] As with all orthodox, evangelical, non-dispensationalists I believe that this passage refers to the visible, glorious, second advent to conclude history, not an invisible rapture removing believers in preparation for setting up another redemptive-historical era (the great tribulation followed by the millennium).

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He Shall Have Dominion

(paperback by Kenneth Gentry)

A classic, thorough explanation and defense of postmillennialism (600+ pages). Complete with several chapters answering specific objections.

See more study materials at: www.KennethGentry.com

On the very surface it is remarkable that one of the noisiest verses in Scripture pictures the secret rapture. Paul says:

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first” (1Th 4:16).

By all appearance, this seems emphatically to be a very public event, even if we do not take these elements as literal trumpet blasts and loud audio vocalizations. [4] Besides, this event involves millions of physical resurrections and the transformation of millions of living believers, removing them from the world. This must have a public impact.

In addition, the passage teaches that “so shall we ever be with the Lord.” It says nothing of Christians going with him to heaven for seven years, then returning to the earth to rule in a thousand-year millennium, then returning back to heaven. Some (not all) dispensationalists hold that: “The locale of their future is not permanent as they will be in heaven during the time preceding the Second Coming [i.e., during the seven-year great tribulation]. They will be on earth during the millennial kingdom.” [5] If this is such a “significant” passage for the dispensational view, why are not the dispensational distinctives found here?

The Attempted Defense

Despite dispensational arguments, that it does not mention the resurrection of the wicked here does not suggest there will be two resurrections or two distinct comings of Christ. The reasons the resurrection of the wicked does not appear here are:

First, he resurrection of the righteous and the wicked operate on different principles. The righteous are in Christ; their resurrection is to glory. The unrighteous may not expect such glory at the resurrection, for theirs is “a resurrection of judgment” (Jn 5:29).[image error]

Dispensational Distortions

Three Lectures by Kenneth Gentry. Reformed introduction to classic dispensationalism, with analysis of leading flaws regarding the Church, kingdom, redemptive history, and Christ. Helpful for demonstrating errors to dispensationalists.

See more study materials at: www.KennethGentry.com

Second, Paul’s purpose is not to deal with all the implications of the resurrection. Rather, as Walvoord himself admits: “Though this passage is more informative concerning the nature of the Rapture, it is designed to be an encouragement to those who are living for Christ.” [6] Paul is comforting Christians regarding their deceased loved ones. If a glorious millennium lay in the future, it would seem that he should mention that here as a word of comfort. But, rather than that, Paul places all believers in the presence of the Lord forever, not for a seven year tribulation period.

Let us hear no more of this noisy verse used as evidence of a secret Rapture.

Notes

1. John F. Walvoord, Prophecy Knowledge Handbook, 481.

2. Stanton, “Biblical Evidence for the Pretribulational Rapture.” Biblical Perspectives 4:4 (July/Aug. 1991): 2.

3. Paul Benware, Understanding End Times Prophecy, 159. See also: Popular Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy, 309. Dictionary of Premillennial Theology, 338.

4. Remarkably, Walvoord, a dispensational literalist, even allows the possibility that the “clouds” may be figurative allusions to the great numbers of saints involved! Walvoord, Prophecy Knowledge Handbook, 484.

5. Walvoord, Prophecy Knowledge Handbook, 484.

6. Walvoord, Prophecy Knowledge Handbook, 484.

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MUSLIMS TURNING TO CHRIST

[image error]PMT 2017-080 by Janelle P (Open Doors)

The Islamic State has been filling the headlines for a long time and filling the hearts of many people in the Middle East with fear. But in the midst of all this, the church in the Middle East is showing the love of Christ to those who fled their homes. Muslims in the Middle East are turning to Jesus in unprecedented numbers.

Before the war, it was rare that a Muslim would become a follower of Jesus Christ. The war has changed everything. According to one of the Christian workers of a church in Lebanon, many new converts say they had their doubts about Islam before they converted. “Doubt is many times the key to start a change,” says the church worker.

We meet with Amir*, Rasha* and their two children, who fled from Homs. Proof of the extraordinary change lies in her arms sleeping — a five-month-old baby girl with the very Christian name Christina.

“Since 2012, we have been living in a tent,” Amir shares. “It is not an easy life. About a year ago my wife’s mother was killed by a sniper when she went out to have some fresh air. My wife’s brother was killed on his way home.”

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Christianity and the World Religions:

By Derek CooperCooper. Examines the rival worldviews found in Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism, Judaism, Islam, and irreligion. He engages these worldviews from a Christian perspective.

See more study materials: www.KennethGentry.com

The life of this family was and is still hard, but recently they found light in their life. “About three months ago, I was given a vision of Jesus Christ,” Rasha shares. “I was sleeping and all of a sudden I saw Jesus Christ in white. He said ‘I am Christ. You will have a beautiful daughter.’ I was eight months pregnant, and a month later we received our beautiful daughter.” At about the same time the husband had a dream, too. “I saw Jesus Christ. He was dressed in white. He said to me ‘I am your Savior. You will follow me.’”

“We’re Afraid Now”

Both Amir and Rasha made a bold decision after these dreams. “We decided to follow Him. We named our baby Christina. We left our old Islamic customs.” Amir stopped going to the mosque, but Rasha still dresses as a Muslim woman with her head covered by a veil. “Our clan is very big; we’re afraid now. They might kill us,” says Rasha.

Amir continues: “Our family knows we are Christians now. Becoming a Christian is, for them, the same as if I had destroyed the Kaaba in Saudi Arabia. It is because we walked in the darkness and are now in the light. I want to protect my family.”

Because of the danger, they didn’t want to continue living in the tent in the camp where mainly Muslims live. With her soft and sad voice Rasha says: “We now have no fixed place to live, we go from place to place.”

Back home in Syria, Amir worked as a carpenter. “I have no work in Lebanon. Our financial situation is bad. Now, because we are Christians, others don’t want to help us. The church is helping as much as is possible.”

Gesturing with their hands and faces, they say they don’t know what the future will bring. “The most important thing is that we know Jesus Christ as our Savior,” the man adds. “He will save us. We regularly pray to the Lord, we freely worship Him, and He protects us. God is with us. God will resolve our situation.”

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Postmillennialism Explained, Defended and Applied

(6 lectures by Ken Gentry)

These five lectures explain the biblical foundations to postmillennialism, while providing practical applications for the modern Christian. Some of the leading objections are dealt with a clear and succinct fashion. Includes Q&A after each session and a downloadable syllabus.

See more study materials at: http://www.KennethGentry.com

Muslims in the Middle East are turning to Jesus in unprecedented numbers. This is what several pastors shared with Open Doors.

Somewhere in Lebanon we meet with a young woman named Karima*, a refugee from Aleppo. She still covers her hair, but the change in the way she dresses compared with when she first arrived in Lebanon is obvious. She became a Christian more than two years ago. Karima and her husband, also a convert, are now working with one of the churches in Lebanon, both as teachers to Syrian refugee children. They had their doubts about Islam before they came to Lebanon. She saw miracles happen in her life because the pastor of a church prayed for her. God provided a place for them to live, a job and even healed her seriously sick son.

“Up until now, my parents didn’t know about my conversion because they fled to another country. My family is very conservative; they are Shiites. If they heard about my conversion, they would kill me. We would lose our children.”

Since her conversion, she has participated in discipleship groups. “The biggest change in my life is that I know I have eternal life. My name is written in the book of life. God gave me peace in my life and He gave me joy. Life is beautiful, even in the midst of all the trouble.” . . .

To continue reading: click

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THE IMPORTANCE OF GOOD NEWS

[image error]PMT 2017-079 by Eric Metaxas & G. Shane Morris (Breakpoint)

It’s been a summer of rough news for America. Racism, riots, and political violence. Communities on the Gulf Coast continue wading through the devastation of hurricane Harvey, and now another storm is bearing down on Florida. We have plenty of reasons to be praying and doing all we can to alleviate suffering. There’s cause for grief about the news—but not for pessimism.

Writing at The Guardian, Oliver Burkeman suggests that despite a dragging civil war in Syria, heart-rending photos of drowned refugees, North Korea’s nuclear saber-rattling, disasters, terrorist attacks, and racial violence, the world is objectively better now than it’s ever been.

Hard to believe? Well, here are the facts: Swedish historian Mark Norberg breaks down global indicators of human flourishing into nine categories: food, sanitation, life expectancy, poverty, violence, the state of the environment, literacy, freedom, equality, and the conditions of childhood. And in nearly all of these categories, we’ve seen vast improvement in my lifetime.

Despite the fact that nine out of ten Americans say worldwide poverty is holding steady or worsening, the percentage of people on this planet who live on less than two dollars a day—what the United Nation’s defines as “extreme poverty”—has fallen below ten percent, which is the lowest it’s ever been.

The scourge of child mortality is also at a record low. Fifty percent fewer children under five die today than did thirty years ago.

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Postmillennialism Made Easy (by Ken Gentry)

Basic introduction to postmillennialism. Presents the essence of the postmillennial argument and answers the leading objections. And all in a succinct, introductory fashion.

See more study materials at: www.KennethGentry.com

Worldwide, 300,000 more people gain access to electricity every day. In 1900, global life expectancy was just 31 years. Today, it’s an impressive 71 years. And violent crime rates in the United States are the lowest they’ve been in half a century.

Nicholas Kristof wasn’t too far afield when he called 2016 “the best year in the history of humanity.” This year may see even more progress.

So why do these cheery pronouncements strike us as inaccurate—even outrageous? Why—according to a recent poll by YouGov—do a vanishingly small six percent of Americans think the world as a whole is becoming a better place?

Burkeman lays much of the blame on the press. Thanks to a 24-hour news cycle that actively seeks out and overplays the worst stories, our perception of the world is skewed. “We are not merely ignorant of the facts,” he writes. “We are actively convinced of depressing ‘facts’ that aren’t true.” And no wonder! It’s hard to sell papers and get Web traffic with good news. No one reports when a plane takes off. They only report when they crash.

But a great deal of the blame for our unjustifiably gloomy view of the world also falls on our shoulders. Quite simply, we often enjoy being angry about the state of the world, especially when it allows us to blame someone else. We are addicted to news-induced anger.

That’s why it’s so important—while acknowledging the desperate evil and suffering around us—to appreciate the good news, the progress, and the things we have to celebrate. After all, how can we truly comprehend what’s wrong with the world if we don’t recognize when something is going right?

Down But Not Out[image error]

by Wayne A. Mack

Wayne Mack brings biblical counsel to people suffering from worry or spiritual burnout—two major problems that knock us down. Other chapters treat “downers” such as self-pity, discontentment, discouragement, perplexity, and hopelessness.

See more study materials at: www.KennethGentry.com

War, famine, disease, and hatred should all remind us that God’s world, which He created and pronounced “very good,” is broken, and it’s our fault. But here’s the real comfort: It’s still—as the hymn says—our Father’s world. Let us therefore never forget that “though the wrong seems oft so strong God is the ruler yet.” . . . .

To finish reading: click

REFORMATION WAS MORE THAN JUSTIFICATION

[image error]PMT 2017-078 by Larry E. Ball (Aquila Report)

As we prepare to celebrate the 500th Anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, we celebrate the rediscovery of the foundational doctrine of justification by faith alone. It is the very breath that gives life to every Christian. It is one evidence of our new birth in Christ. However, my personal celebration will be mixed with sadness. Let me be plain about the reason for my dejection.

The Reformation was a movement of the Holy Spirit that changed western culture, but modern Reformed churches have created a pietism that is absorbed with individualism and the heart. The Kingdom of God has been identified with the church, and in my opinion, we have insulted King Jesus who will not be satisfied until he rules over all the earth. This rule will come about with the application of his law to all areas of life including science, politics, education, the arts, etc.

We have mishandled the Scriptures in order to conform to our own theological presuppositions rather than honestly deal with relevant texts. We have neutered the power of the Reformation. For example, in John 18:36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence” (KJV). So, we are told by exegetes that God’s Kingdom has nothing to do with this world. It is located in the heart or in heaven.

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Blessed Is He Who Reads: A Primer on the Book of Revelation

By Larry E. Ball

A basic survey of Revelation from the preterist perspective.

It sees John as focusing on the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in AD 70.

For more Christian studies see: www.KennethGentry.com

It should be obvious that this is not what Jesus meant. In response to Pilate’s arrogance, Jesus reminded Pilate that the source of God’s Kingdom is not from this world (from hence). On the contrary, it is established in this world not by the power of swords and fighting servants, but through his own death and by the power of the Holy Spirit.

In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus tells us to pray that God’s Kingdom will come to this earth. He goes on to tell us what that Kingdom will look like when we see it. God’s will — will be done on earth as it is in heaven. The earth is positioned as the complement of heaven, and not the heart or the church. Reformation Christians must not be satisfied until we see “the earth filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (Hab. 2:14).

I love the doctrine of justification by faith alone as much as anyone else. I love the five solas. However, when the doctrine of justification by faith alone becomes the summation of the Reformation, then it will always produce pietism. The baby is born not to stay in infancy, but to grow into adulthood. Justification leads to sanctification which leads to the application of God’s law to all of life.

The modern church has become so obsessed with individualism and the personal examination of the heart to such an extent that it has become unable reflect the scope of the Protestant Reformation. This is depressing, and this is why I will not be a happy camper this year in the celebration of the Reformation.

[image error]Larry E. Ball is a retired minister in the Presbyterian Church in America and is now a CPA. He is the author of “Blessed Is He Who Reads,” an orthodox preterist primer on Revelation. He lives in Kingsport, Tennessee.

SAMOA OFFICIALLY A CHRISTIAN STATE

[image error]PMT 2017-077 by Grant Wyeth (The Diplomat)

In early June, the Samoan Parliament passed a bill amending the constitution to transform the country from a secular to a Christian state. The objective of the amendment was “to insert in the Constitution that Samoa is a Christian nation to declare the dominance of Christianity in Samoa.” Of the Parliament’s 49 representatives, 43 voted in favor of the bill.

Samoa already had a reference to Christianity in the preamble to its Constitution, which declared that the Samoan government should conduct itself “within the limits prescribed by God’s commandments,” and that Samoan society is “based on Christian principles.” This kind of wording is common in the preambles of constitutions among Pacific Island states (the exception being Fiji). However, a preamble to a constitution is generally seen as a broad symbolic national statement, one of historical or cultural significance, rather than a legislative tool. What Samoa has done is shift references to Christianity into the body of the constitution, giving the text far more potential to be used in legal processes.

Previously Article 1 of the Samoan Constitution had declared that “Samoa is founded on God,” a broad religious conception that could be applied to all religious groups (a phrasing similarly used by Indonesia). However, upon these changes Article 1 will now read “Samoa is a Christian nation founded of God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,” a specifically Christian conception of God, with no room for interpretation by other religious groups, or by the government and judiciary.

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He Shall Have Dominion

(paperback by Kenneth Gentry)

A classic, thorough explanation and defense of postmillennialism (600+ pages). Complete with several chapters answering specific objections.

See more study materials at: www.KennethGentry.com

The motivation for this constitutional shift seems to be twofold. First, the change seems to be driven by a fear of Islam within Samoa, with the Secretary General of the Samoa Council of Churches, Reverend Ma’auga Motu stating that Islam should be banned from the country. This coincides with what Prime Minister Tuilaepa Malielegaoi sees as “religious wars” currently playing out at a global level, and that these are leading to civil wars within countries. The prime minister said that the suspected reason Christianity wasn’t enshrined in the body of the constitution was that there were no religious wars when the constitution was written in 1960, and that “perhaps our ancestors were not thinking about it at the time.”

Tuilaepa believes that it is now the government’s duty to legislate to avoid religious tensions. This line of thinking indicates that it is the secular state that provides the environment for religious tensions to ferment, and that a country which legally enshrines a religion will avoid creating these tensions.

What makes this more interesting is that the likelihood of any radical Islamic elements with the organizational capacity to create tensions in Samoa is extremely remote. The 2001 census counted the followers of Islam to be 0.03 percent of the Samoan population, or 48 people. Although religious numbers haven’t been counted in subsequent censuses, it’s unlikely that the figure has increased too much beyond this. The country has only one mosque that is very modestly attended.

Thine Is the Kingdom[image error]

(ed. by Ken Gentry)

Contributors lay the scriptural foundation for a biblically-based, hope-filled postmillennial eschatology, while showing what it means to be postmillennial in the real world.

See more study materials at: www.KennethGentry.com

What the constitutional changes therefore do create is the potential for the country’s tiny Muslim community to feel very unsettled, especially if these constitutional changes are used to limit their freedom to worship, and they lack the capacity within the community to legally defended themselves. The equally small numbers of Hindus, Buddhists and Jews may also feel a similar unease.

The second motivation for the change in the constitution seems to be one of preventing outside forces from advocating for modern cultural change within Samoa. In January when the changes were being discussed members of Parliament declared that Samoa becoming a Christian state would mean that it would not be influenced by other states, or NGOs, that may pressure it to adopted ideas like gay rights. In parliamentary debates, one member of parliament expressed this perspective by stating, “If we make laws and bills, we need to make decisions that will reflect that we are a Christian country, so if other countries push us to make laws such as to allow same sex marriage, then we have to say no because that will not show that we are a Christian country. That will never happen in Samoa.”

Aside from attempting to insulate the country from outside influences that are perceived to be unstable or unfamiliar, there remains the potential for more theocratic tendencies to emerge from these constitutional changes. Those who hold the interpretations of God’s will in Samoan society may now also hold a far greater legal sway. Churches lobbying the government for both their own tangible interests, or causes they consider of importance, will now have the state’s foundation’s document on their side….

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SAME SEX AND TRANSGENDERISM ISSUES

[image error]PMT 2017-076 by Rosaria Butterfield (Coalition for Biblical Sexuality)

Gentry introductory note:

The postmillennial worldview necessarily involves a biblical view of morality. Postmillennial expects God’s grace, peace, and righteousness to conquer our sin-fallen world. Thus, we must engage all moral issues from a biblical perspective. Rosaria Butterfield is a strong witness in the area of gay and transgender issues. Dr. Butterfield is writing about the “Nashville Statement” which she signed along with John Piper, J. I. Packer, James Dobson, John MacArthur, Russell Moore, Wayne Grudem, Tony Perkins, D. A. Carson, Albert Mohler, Francis Chan, R. C. Sproul, Sam Allberry, Marvin Olasky, and many other noteworthy evangelicals.

Rosaria Butterfield: “Why I Signed the Nashville Statement”

Great battles in theology faced by the church over the centuries have been caused by the introduction of unbiblical categories about the nature of people and the nature of God, and the imprecise language that emerges from this. Are we justified by faith or are we justified by faith alone? Does the Bible contain the word of God or is the Bible the word of God? Should we refuse to bake cakes for gay weddings because marriage is a creation-mandated institution and not a social privilege that can be re-packaged as the world whims? Or should we bake two cakes because sexual orientation as a category of personhood erases sexual sin without the blood of Christ?

The issue is not primarily homosexuality; it’s Scripture.

The issue is not primarily gay marriage; it’s whether “the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

The issue is not whether people are good-intentioned and sincere in desiring things that God forbids.

The issue is whether we all bear the sin of Adam, inheriting an unchosen moral deformity, an energy of opposition to God, a rebellion that bequeaths to us a sin nature that we cannot erase on our own terms and by our own hands.

The issue is whether Jesus rose from the grave, is alive today, and whether His blood and love and resurrection makes any wit of difference in how you fight the original sin that distorts you, the actual sin that distracts you, and the indwelling sin that manipulates you.

Openness Unhindered (by Rosaria Butterfield)[image error]

Dr. Butterfield goes to great lengths to clarify some of today’s key controversies. She also traces their history and defines the terms that have become second nature today-even going back to God’s original design for marriage and sexuality as found in the Bible. She cuts to the heart of the problems and points the way to the solution.

See more study materials at: www.KennethGentry.com

The issue is whether you can trust the Bible to tell you who you are, who God is, and which way is up.

Twenty years ago, I lived as a lesbian. I delighted in my lover, our home on one of the Finger Lakes, our Golden Retrievers, and our careers. When Christ claimed me for His own, I did not stop feeling like a lesbian. I did not fall out of love with women. I was not converted out of homosexuality. I was converted out of unbelief.

Conversion to Christ did not initially change my sexual attraction for women. What conversion did change immediately was my heart and mind. My mind was on fire for the Bible and I could not read enough of it or enough about it. The gospel gave me a light that was ruinous. It ruined me for the life I had loved. The Lord’s light illumined my sin through the law and illumined my hope through Jesus and the gospel. The gospel destroyed me before the Lord built me back up. In saying “yes” to Jesus and “no” to the desires of my flesh, I learned that the only way to peace with my God was through the Cross-the one that Jesus died on and the one that I was called, with the help of Jesus, to carry.

In this crucible I wondered how this could be so. How could that which I loved be sin? How could I hate my sin without hating myself? How could I both hate my sin and feel drawn into it simultaneously?

I learned that sin does not lose its character as sin because I loved it. I learned that my homosexuality was a logical consequence of the fall of man, the thumbprint of original sin on some of us. It is true that some of us are born this way. It is also true that we are all born in sin, in one way or another. We can hate our sin without hating ourselves because we who have committed our lives to Christ stand in his righteousness and not our own. Our real identity is not in the sin we battle but in the savior we embrace.

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Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert

(by Rosaria Butterfield)

Remarkable testimony of a lesbian professor who was a leading spokesperson for

the feminist movement, but whom Christ saved.

See more study materials at: www.KennethGentry.com

Christ’s salvation is definitive and decisive. Christ rescues his people, growing us in union with Christ, establishing us in God’s family, the church, and setting us apart to bear the image of God in knowledge (of God’s word), holiness (in God’s justification of his people), and righteousness (through sanctification, also called growth in Christ).

We gain more than we lose when we pick up our cross and follow Jesus. But pick up our cross we must. And for many of us, our cross demands forsaking the sexual sin that calls us by name.

We live now in a world that has no use for the God of the Bible, for Jesus, the savior of His people and of the world. The terms are shifting quickly. Calling people like me to forsake sexual sin is no longer considered a first step toward walking with Jesus in liberty and in new life. Today, some influential people who claim to know Christ no longer believe that God hates sin. Sin is in the eyes of the beholder, they say.

Just a few years ago, these people blamed sin on the devil, saying “the devil made me do it.” Now these same people—some of them leaders in the church—blame sin on the Holy Spirit, declaring that He is blessing what the Bible condemns. In a few short years, blame shifting has morphed into blasphemy. And this blasphemy is coming from people who claim to have Christ’s salvation and from the pulpits and blogs that they wield.

When blasphemy comes from the church, the Bible gives us ways to understand how prophets become lions and wolves. . . .

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