ISLAMIC TERRORISM BY THE NUMBERS

For some unexplainable reason, I have been inspired to install a widget on my blog which tracks Islamic terrrorist attacks.  It is available from TheReligionOfPeace.com.  Here it is.

You may also view this handy widget down below this page on the right side.  God save us in Jesus name, amen!

PRETERISM SIMPLY EXPLAINED

The Destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD (David Roberts)

Here is a link to PreteristRadio.com, which leads to an archive of preterist-related podcasts for your exploratory pleasure. Also, there is the preterist viewpoint explained here. with more podcasts here.

Incidentally, it is now May 27, 2015. I know not if Blogger will update the time stamp automatically when I finish updating this post (which was originally posted July 29, 2011 at 9:19 am).

[Editor's Note: it did not :-) ]

I truly hope this helps people understand the concept of fulfilled or covenant eschatology.  I know it sounds and looks heretical.  But I think I am on solid ground based on Jesus' own words:

"Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass way until all these things [mentioned in the Olivet Discourse] take place ."(Matthew 24:34)

HELP! MY BLOG DESCRIPTION COLOR IS HARD TO SEE!!!

Alright. I was tinkering with the advanced template editor and changed the blog description color to something a little less visible--by accident, and now I can't change it back to a darker, more visible color.

Help!

[P.S. I fixed this by changing the text color in the Advanced tab of the Template Designer in Blogger today 7/29.]

NAMELESS PLUG

Today's post is brought to you by Firefox!  This is a shameless plug, indeed.  But then, this is a shameless blog!  Or at least, it should be. ;)

Now, I am seeing a pattern here: three blog posts in a row about-- you guessed it-- blogging.  This can only mean one of two things (or three): I don't have a point; or I have one, but I haven't figured out what it is yet.

Either way, pity the reader. Consider this blog post "breaking the ice," "clearing the cobwebs," and "greasing the skids."

What else can it be?

Perhaps web design awaits...

DEATH IN A FLASH

Oh, oh! Rumblings of doubt have surfaced in my heart about web design as a vocation.

I had a flash of inspiration to continue pursuing it by visiting W3Schools.com.  But alas, my flash died.

Yet, it is still fun to blog because, on a very basic level, I can do "what I want" and still "look good!" :)

Meanwhile, try watching James White defending Calvinism.  Nobody wields the sword of apologetics like Dr. White.

WEB DESIGN, ANYONE?

I am blogging about my career-move-on-hold called web design, which I have taken online classes for. I have completed a project for a client since then, but have had to postpone any further work because of family-related reasons.

I should visit W3Schools.com to polish-- if not learn-- my new skills, hmmm?

Or I could just keep blogging because I want to. It is way too easy to be "distracted," especially on YouTube!

COLD-BLOGGING ABOUT A HOT TOPIC

What is cold-blogging? Maybe another way to say it is "blogging blind." It's when you start out to compose a blog post without first looking at your blog to get a feel for what it looks like or says that day. Yes, it is that easy to forget what you blogged about the day before-- or even earlier that day, but not likely.

I do want to get back to my discussion of what Dr. James White (and others) say about preterism (and preterists). Suffice it to say I will get back to his comments, which I disagree with because I am a Christian who believes what he believes.  The exception is that the "Second Coming of Christ" already happened, but not in the classic, mainstream, doctrinally popular way.

I really hate to be a kill-joy, a stick in the mud, a contrarian (well, sometimes), and a "heretic."  It's not fun to be anathematized, condemned, and warned about falling away (especially when you don't even want to).

Gee whiz, futurists, lighten up!  The more you guys (futurists) condemn us preterists, the more we want to flee the "crackling thorns" (Ecclesiastes 7:6) of your criticism.

Another sense in which I am "cold-blogging" or blogging "blind" is that I intend to complete this blog entry and  post it without previewing it using Google Blogger's cool Preview feature.

In the words of that great bastion of theological integrity, The Tonight Show: More To Come...

BE WELL-READ

I cannot think of more valuable advice at the moment than that. Be well-read. Grab any book, magazine, or newspaper article you want and read it! Feed your soul!

Now that that's off my chest, I can focus on my previous subject matter: James White's warning to those who believe Jesus meant "this generation!"(Matthew 24:34)

I really hate to disappoint Dr. White, and any other opponent of preterism.  But the more they condemn us, anathematize us, and so on, the more I feel led to investigate its claims, read its main proponents (Don Preston, Ed Stevens, et al), listen to and watch its audio and video presentations, and consider it a viable if not only sane/reasonable option!

Someone help us out!

I am overwhelmed when I think of the Scriptures that clearly teach "the end of the age" as the end of the Old Covenant world of Jewish religion and life in favor of a "better way."(Hebrews 7:22)

CLASSIC DISTORTION OF PRETERISM

Dear Lord Jesus, please let this video-embed code work!!! Amen



Whew! Thank you, Lord.

With that, I bring you a video slam from Dr. James White aimed at us preterists who are seeking the Truth in all of Scripture-- not just in that which lines up with church history, the creeds, and my home congregation, etc.

I want to transcribe and comment on this video because it is so classic a caricature of preterist thinking that I can refute its validity, point by emotion-driven point. I have the highest respect for Dr. White-- except when he slams me/us like this.


Begin transcript:

Caller:  “Brother, how you doin’?”

JW: “Doing good.”

Caller:  “You are already aware, I think, of the question I’m going to ask you. I was concerned about a verse in Luke 21:22, where Jesus says, ‘because these are days of vengeance, so that all things which are written will be fulfilled,’ considering these questions that His disciples have just asked Him about His Second Coming.  I just wonder if you could maybe explain to me what the Lord meant when He’s saying—especially where He uses the words ‘all things which are written will be fulfilled.’  Is this simply to the destruction of Jerusalem?”

JW:  “Yeah, well, look at the context. It’s always good to avoid looking at a part of a sentence (laughs), because the sentence starts in verse 21, ‘Then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those who are in the midst of the city must leave, and those who are in the country must not enter the city because these are days of vengeance, so that all things which are written will be fulfilled.  Woe to those who are pregnant, and to those who are nursing babies in those days, for there will be great distress upon the land and wrath to this people, and they will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive into all the nations.  And Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentles are fulfilled.’ Of course, that phrase, ‘times of the Gentiles’ goes back to Daniel 8 and the issues related there, too.  

So, if your question, if your concern, is that hon ta ta ge gramena “all things which have been written” means a fulfillment of all prophecy, well, given that there is a specific subject under discussion, that would be an unwarranted leap.  If I’m talking about the birth of Christ, alright?  If I’m talking about the incarnation in Bethlehem, and I say, we see here that all things which are written concerning the Messiah were fulfilled, I’m not, by saying that, ignoring the cross or ignoring the resurrection or ignoring the Second Coming or anything else.  I’ve already defined my categories by what I’m saying in regards to the topic that’s under discussion.”

Caller:  “Right. It’s just the issue right here immediately that He’s speaking of.”

JW:  “Well, yeah. I mean, that would be the natural way to take what He is saying. It would be very unnatural to take anyone who is talking about a specific subject and think that when they say, ‘all things which are written,’ oh, that means every prophecy about everything, including Second Coming or incarnation or cross or whatever.  No, it’s defined by the context in which it’s being discussed.  This is another—this would actually be one example which you could use in talking really to anyone about where pas pas hupon, ‘all things,’ has to be defined by the context in which it’s used.”

Caller:  “Right. In other words, the ‘all’ is limited--”

JW:  “By the context.”

Caller:  “--according to the context.”

JW:  “Oh, yeah, sure.”

Caller:  “I go to a church that is reformed in its soteriology. But it is futurist in its eschatology.  Like most churches with new visitors, you run into a kaleidoscope of people with differing beliefs.  Recently, I’ve talked with a fellow that’s extremely erudite, much more so than I. But he considers himself a preterist.”

JW:  “Okay.”

Caller:  “Do preterists—or, at least, do some preterists, believe that Jesus actually returned—“

JW:  “Yes.”

Caller:  “--in the Roman armies, and that He was invisible?”

JW:  “Yeah. What you’re, what would normally, historically what you’re discussing here is called ‘pantellism’ from pas pas hupon, from a text like this.  All things have already been fulfilled.  We are already in the eternal state.  The Second Coming took place in A.D.70.  The resurrection took place in A.D.70.  Everything was fulfilled at that point.  Now, I don’t know about you, but if this is the eternal state, I’ve got some real problems!”

Caller:  “I think that’s error.”

JW:  “No, it’s not just error. It’s heresy because it ends up denying the—many of these end up denying the physical nature of the resurrection of Jesus, and they end up with all sorts of problems.  There’s a book which we probably should carry but don’t. But you can find it online I’m sure.  And I was looking at it yesterday, because I was digging through all of my boxes looking for a particular book and of course, guess where was it?  The last box I looked at!  Of course, where else would it be?  An hour worth of just looking for one book.  And I’m—“

Caller:  “Thinking of the title.”

JW:  “Yeah, I can see the book and I—oh, the fellow works for Ligonier Ministries.  Doggone it!  ‘When Shall These Things Come to Pass,’ I think is what it was called.”

Caller:  “Okay.”

JW:  “Um, oh, drat it all!  Maybe somebody in channel, uh…  Yes!  Mathison, thank you.  Yes, ‘hopester’ up in Idaho just saved me.  Keith Mathison…”

Caller:  “Keith Mathison, yeah.”

JW:  “Keith Mathison has written a book on the subject of what I would prefer calling hyper-preterism, because there is partial preterism, which would be more the standard Reformed viewpoint, that certain elements of Matthew 24, Luke 21, are fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D.70—but not all. To say that everything [is fulfilled] becomes hyperpreterism. 

Caller:  “Right.”

JW:  “So, there’s a real dividing line, and unfortunately, individual writers and people like that are not necessarily overly consistent in their utilization of the language.  So, preterists who are actually hyper-preterists will simply call themselves preterists, and partial-preterists will call themselves preterists.  And so it can be very, very confusing.”

Caller:  “Right.”

JW:  “And it’s, to be honest with you, is an area that is-- I would say there’s a number of areas in systematic theology that would keep me from ever writing a book on systematic theology because I just don’t enjoy the discussion of them.  And this would be one of them, and that’s why I would refer you to something like Keith Mathison’s book on that particular subject to provide you with a good response.”

Caller:  “Don’t these folks have some real problems, though, with a text of Scripture like, you know, even in this passage. I mean, right when it describes the Second Coming, it talks about the signs in the sun and the moon and the stars? I mean, these supernatural events…”

JW:  “They would actually connect those to Old Testament prophecies in reference to limited judgments upon Israel in the past.”

Caller:  “Uh huh.”

JW:  “Believe me, once you accept the overarching interpretive hermeneutic of hyper-preterism, they can come up with an answer for anything.”

Caller:  “Yeah.”

JW:  “The problem is, the result is, something that has almost no resemblance to historic, Biblical Christianity at all.  It’s really a mess. So, I would refer you to Mathison before I end up saying things that I would probably…”

Caller:  “It’s called, ‘When Shall These Things Come?’ ”

JW:  “Um, you know, all you’d have to do is Google “keith mathison” or Amazon “keith mathison.” I think that was the title.  But, off the top of my head, I wouldn’t be able to give you the specific title.”

Caller:  “You know, Dr. White, it’s amazing how intelligent that someone can sound, and how well-read that they can be…” 

JW:  (laughs)

Caller:  “…and yet, I mean, because, you know, I don’t feel like I’m that much of an intellectual when it comes to these things.  I have to read—you know, it amazes me how you remember so many-- you must have a brain like a big hard drive on a computer, because I can’t remember this stuff without it in front of me. But yet, it’s just like you said, I mean, here I’ve got a really nice guy, this guy’s a really wonderful guy—“

JW:  “Yeah.”

Caller:  “Very intelligent sounding. But yet, you know, according-- you just called him a heretic!”

JW:  “Well, yeah, you got to remember something.  First of all…”

Caller:  “That’s not the first time I’ve heard that said about preterism!”

JW:  “First of all, it’s called, “When Shall These Things Be: A Reformed Response to Hyperpreterism.”  It’s on Amazon for $12.59.  I just popped it up real quick.”

Caller:  “Great.”

JW:  “Secondly, remember, heresy is not a matter—okay, let me back up.  Heresy is not always a matter of intellect.  In fact, while heresy often is due to a lack of teaching—Scripture talks about, you know, watch your doctrine, and those who are untaught and unstable.  But, you see, you can be taught and unstable, and still fall into error. In fact, knowledge puffs up, and when someone becomes puffed up, to the point where they are unwilling to be corrected, or think that they can see things no one else has ever, ever, ever seen in the text of Scripture…”

Caller:  “Right.”

JW:  “That’s always a danger.  And let’s, let’s, let’s-- I’m going to be very honest here, and, folks, if anyone misrepresents me on this, and misquotes me on this, there’s nothing I can do about it.  But there is a danger amongst Reformed people to get into these kinds of things, because they start realizing, they start seeing the connections in Scripture about certain doctrines, and all of a sudden they start, they get on their hobby horse and start running.  If they’re not grounded in a good church, if they’re not grounded in teaching, if they’re not grounded in ministering to the saints, and things like that, they can become so puffed up and arrogant in their thinking, that they end being succeptible to all sorts of stuff like this.

"There is a balance that must be maintained. The Scriptures tell us that we must love the truth. That means loving all of the truth. We can, in our arrogance, endanger our own souls by not having the balance that we need to have in being a part of the church, and ministering to others and sometimes intellectuals think that this might be just a little bit below them.”

End of transcript

GETTING ESCHATOLOGY RIGHT (AND WRONG)

I am listening to free podcasts of RC Sproul teaching his series of lectures called, "The Last Days According to Jesus." Now, who does NOT want to understand this subject with a title like that?  Any Christian worth his "salt" SHOULD try to do so!

Well, I have been getting educated on the partial and full ("hyper") preterist views of eschatology by way of Dr. Sproul.

Listen to his teaching, "The Book of Revelation" for an excellent presentation of the case for an "early dating" of Revelation.

POST-MILLENNIAL PRETERIST

Well, well, well. It looks like the full (Biblical) preterist view of the millennium postulates an interpretation of 40 years, i.e., the transition period from Jesus' earthly ministry to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 A.D.

Does this mean I am a post-millennial preterist who believes in a first-century physical rapture?

Yes...

CARE AND FEEDING OF A WEBLOG

CONGRATULATIONS!!!  It's a blog!!!

Now that you have registered your account with Blogger.com, or some other blogging website, you can visit and post almost any content (within reason).  But what to blog about? That is the perennial question lurking in the back of your (and my) mind...

I still maintain that my blog is a Seinfeld-esque, blog-about-nothing! The nice thing is, you can link anything to "nothing" and come up with something!

"I think you may have something here."(Jerry Seinfeld)

OPERA NOT WITH THE PROGRAM

I thought I would leave this bit of punnery in the title to attract attention to today's post. I have been browsing the Internet with Opera, and I noticed it does not support HTML5 and/or CSS3.

How do I know? Because Google's(?) beautiful template for my blog is minimally evident in the basic colors and rudimentary design elements showing with Opera rendering the page. This is in remarkable contrast to the truly stunning rendering by, say, Internet Explorer 9, which does justice to the current web design standards.

Well, as computer technology would have it,  I spoke too soon, because now Opera is rendering the page just fine.  I guess it pays to be patient.

ALEX JONES SUMS UP 9/11

Before I go to bed, here is a video I watched and liked a lot. I seem to have needed an "Alex Jones fix" tonight!

Anyway, enjoy.

"PRETERISM" ON ONEPLACE.COM? :)

I took a stab in the proverbial dark and visited OnePlace.com for some good, sound Biblical teaching. I found--somehow-- this: "The End Times According to the Bible" with Ed Budd.  So far, I like what I hear!

For more of his ministry's teaching, see the archives.

PODCAST PONDERINGS

Just for fun, I thought I would post a link to my comment on a podcast at  AD70.net called "Two Guys and a Bible." Since this is a blog, and not Facebook, I will elaborate ad nauseum. Or not.

Right now I am listening to the podcast from January 18, 2011. For a little encouragement in your own preterist leanings (you know you have them :), listen to it and read lots of articles addressing "the spread of Covenant Eschatology." (Don Preston)

OPEN SEASON ON "OPEN FORUM"

Our old buddy Harold Camping is at it again, and again, and again...

It seems he has admitted "mathematical error" in his calculations for the end-of-the-world effective date, as usual.    Oh, but he has found out that the world will end October 21... maybe.  He could be wrong (again), you know.

If it were not for these and all the other ne'er-do-wells in the world today, we would be a sorry lot-- bored out of our minds, with nearly perfect lifestyles and overflowing self-righteousness. Thanks, Mr. Camping, for giving us, Christians and non-Christians alike, something to talk about. Really!

But I digress. False teachers and crooked salesmen always repeat themselves, using different words. They inspire, in an unfavorable way, "the rest of us" to  look hard at ourselves and our beliefs in order to come up with something more solid than the thin air of falsehood that almost-- or already has -- sucked us in.

GET READY

The nice thing about blogging is you can post a link to something which you are interested in, and hope someone "out there" in cyberspace can relate to it and comment on it as well.

Such is the case with the "end of the world" predictions which crop up every now and then.

Now we have another case in point: Harold Camping and his perennial Bible-twisting doctrinal nightmares, also known as false teachings. Mr. Camping has once again "predicted" the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and the end of the "universe" (see video in linked story).

I can assure you, and myself, that God will not destroy the universe on Saturday. I have been exploring, along with a friend of mine who has been following this "wild goose chase" longer than I have, a theological construct of the end-times called preterism. 


Today's headlines about the end of the world are the reason I consider the strong possibility that we have been wrong all this time about it. Jesus came back in 70 A.D., just as He said He would. We are the beneficiaries of His finished work (sinless life, atoning death, triumphal resurrection from the dead, and judgment on all His enemies). He came then to destroy the old world, or Old Covenant (Testament) with its temple and sacrifices -- which could never take away sins (Hebrews 10:11), to bring the New Covenant into full swing.

More to come about this...

ANOTHER FINE POST...

As many of my intrepid readers (both of you) know, I like to occasionally blog for blogging's sake. This is a sure sign of my narcissistic tendency to think I have a culturally relevant blog (I do! I mean, with a name like "Worldview Window," how can it not be relevant?).

As I was saying (or not saying), I like to blog recreationally. That means, of course, that any worthwhile discourse is cast aside in favor of hot air and wasted cyberspace, much like you see here (worthwhile discourse, that is :)

Much like the Greek mythological Narcissus, who fell in love with his own reflection in a pool of water, I too have fallen prey to the allure of self-inflicted fame (not fortune) through blogging.

I still maintain the idea that this is a "blog about nothing" (a la Jerry Seinfeld).

ALEX JONES

While channeling my inner conspiracy-theorist this evening, I decided to visit Alex Jones online at Prison Planet for his take on the whole death-of-Osama (not Obama!)-Bin-Laden. Having looked at his site for other conspiracy fodder (anyone remember 9/11? New World Order? JFK?), I thought it might be worth my time and energy to listen and see what he had posted.

He did not disappoint. Go there, and here.

REFTAGGER

For the uninitiated, RefTagger is the cool feature of Christian websites where pointing the mouse at a Scripture reference brings up a pop-up box with the actual Scripture itself. Pretty cool stuff!

Watch this (mouse over/hover): John 3:16


You get the idea. Here is the website for RefTagger.

BLOG PRACTICE

Once again, I am venturing into dangerous waters when I begin a blog post without a clearly defined goal or motive. I am running on sheer talent, as it were.

Which brings me to my next thought or statement (such as it is): how can I bring this post to a cogent and coherent close without losing 90% of my readers (both of you) in the process. Here is how: by simply keeping you enrapt in suspense as I figure out just what the heck I want to blog about.

But that is my point! If I keep typing for typing's sake, or in this case, blogging for blogging's sake, then maybe I will arrive at some destination-- a point at which I may share some profound nugget of wisdom that I stumbled upon as I was typing (in this case, blogging)..

I think I have succeeded at "blogging for blogging's sake" par excellence. I have concluded this blog post without having declared any real statement of value or worth with reference to any real-life significance or relevance.

Well, this brings me to my conclusion, such as it is, as it were.

MARTY ANGELO IS BACK

First of all, thank you for visiting my blog. It is an ongoing fantasy of mine (to borrow a phrase from Pastor Emeritus Darryl Delhousaye of Scottsdale Bible Church) that someone else reads my blog besides me .

I am listening to a podcast on AD70.net called, "Once Life Matters," with Marty Angelo, which aired on April 20.  I am glad to see Marty is back on Preterist Radio.

BOOKMARK

As an added benefit to blogging, you can "bookmark" a great link to some content which you think you will revisit later by posting it.

Today's blog post is a link to an audio file I am playing as I type this. It is a sermon by David Curtis on Mark 13:26-27 called "Christ's Cloud Coming."

ANOTHER CASUALTY IN THE ROB BELL BOMBSHELL

Well, intrepid readers of other people's blogs (OPB), it is with no small measure of concern that I post this the latest tragedy in American Christian theology: the departure of another pastor from historic Christianity. It seems the vortex of universalist error created by you-know-who (Rob Bell) has sucked one more well-meaning victim of bad exegesis (interpretation drawn from Scripture) of John 3:16 into its lofty clutches.

Not wanting to name the pastor in this post, I refer you to the story with the link here.

And here: "Who's In Hell? Pastor's Criticism of Eternal Torment for Some Sparks Fierce Debate" (FoxNews)

I deduce from this and other stories lately in my daily perusal of the Internet that the popular meaning poured into John 3:16 is the cause for much misunderstanding of who God will save.

Let me try to summarize the argument for its proper exegesis: In this way, God demonstrated His love for all the nations of people: He gave His only begotten Son, that all those believing will not perish, but have eternal life.


I also think of Jesus' own words, "whosoever will may come," and this verse warrants exegesis as well. My preliminary investigation yielded "the" or "those" who are willing.  Watching the John 3:16 video will help you, as it did me, to remember the proper Biblical interpretation and avoid the temptation to think that God will save everyone, if only they will believe!

Not wanting to stir controversy or dissension, I think reinforcing our Scriptural knowledge is helpful for when challenges such as this come along.

Stay tuned.

GOD'S WORD WINS

In the parlance of Twitter, this would be a "re-tweet" -- a re-post of some very pertinent material to the reader at the moment. Such is this post: a quote from an initial reading of Kevin DeYoung's review of Rob Bell's book, "Love Wins." It drives the point home-- a nail, as it were, in the coffin of aberrant theology:

"The emerging church is not an evangelistic strategy. It is the last rung for evangelicals falling off the ladder into liberalism or unbelief."

(from DeYoung's "God Is Still Holy and What You Learned in Sunday School Is Still True: A Review of Love Wins by Rob Bell")

I must credit Pastor Jake Johnson of Redemption Church for this link.  He posted it in his blog.

A rising tide of response to the "bombshell" dropped by this high-profile, respected and much-followed theologian/pastor (Bell) is indeed coming and here.  I am glad to come across these responses from other equally respected pastors and commentators.

God's Word always wins.

HEARTWARMING VIDEO

Here is a video clip from the Israeli Defense Force on YouTube.  It is an example of the "eternal vigilance" by the IDF and their government to ensure the prevention of anti-Israel terrorism. 

Enjoy.

RE-POST

I just added some more content to my post about "Body vs. Bodies," regarding Philippians 3:20-21. You can read it here.

MyBlogAddiction.Com

Well, the first thing to do when you confront your own personal "demons" of blog envy, blog addiction, and blog withdrawal (part of the solution) is to admit it. These categories of psychological dysfunction frequently manifest themselves as altruistic motives, artistic creativity, and literary license-- not to mention worldview promotion and awareness...

Did I say I was in recovery?

Anyway, the whole point of blogging is to find an outlet for your own literary creativity, and to publish it as a risky venture toward fame and fortune. But that's not why I blog!

No, siree. I blog because I am, because I can, and because I must (and should). It is the only sane means of digesting the zeitgeist (spirit of the age) around us, given the innumerable channels of communication which have opened up recently to the 21st century, new world citizen. It is where I find a safe place to wax eloquent when no one else is around.

When a tree falls in the forest, does it make a sound if no ear is there to hear it?

Wait! I hear something...

SEARCH BOX RESULTS

I was pondering the Philippians passage (3:20-21)where Paul talks about "our lowly body" (not "bodies") and Christ's "glorious body." Thanks to Blogger's search box tool, I was able to "recall" where I had blogged about this-- particularly the phrase "lowly bodies."

I will post a link to that post here.

BLOGGER.COME ON!

I know it's early to be blogging (7:34am).  But I got up early after a minor bout with asthma and a not-so-good night's sleep.  I have taken my supplements, natural remedies, and prescription meds. But I just had to blog about something!

So, here I go. It seems that every time I open Blogger, I get a different font in my blog title, namely, Worldview Window. I won't complain too much because as long as it's reasonably legible and stylish (to my liking), I will be fine with it.

Perhaps it is because I like the "new" Blogger so much that I find every opportunity to blog about something, even if it's nothing to blog about-- or blog at. Perhaps it is good practice. Perhaps it is not. One thing is certain: having run and walked a lot yesterday (for recreation and health), and having gotten a lot done for my parents and my car, I feel a little blogging is in order.

With that, I must get on with the day's business at hand, and continue in my venture for work in web design.

But first, the news...

BLOGGING A BLANK

With all the hoopla in world events going on, I wonder how I might scratch the itch to blog today. Better leave the post till tomorrow. Otherwise I might be extracting my foot from my mouth in the morning.

QUIRKY GOOGLE CHROME

Well, my praises for Google's Chrome web browser must be tempered by my finding a quirk (a software glitch which creates a persistent irregularity in the graphical user interface) in its rendering of my blog today.

The blog's title ("Worldview Window") is rendered wider than its allotted header space.  No problem. I'll just reduce the size of the font and move on.

Not only that, but the tsunami video I posted earlier today will not load now in Chrome. 

Oh , well.

VIDEO OF TSUNAMI

PRESIDENTIAL TRUMP CARD

For the record, let me throw my vote out there for Mr. Donald Trump, entrepreneur extraordinaire and tough-talking patriot. He puts his money where his mouth is. He is not all rhetoric. He has "gotten it done" in the business world. He is willing to back the military financially and "build the United States."

With words like these, I find myself secretly hoping he can get it done. If I am wrong, I am wrong. But a commoner like me can dream of a better national future with a leader with intestinal (and other) fortitude, can he not?

WORLDVIEW VENT

I want to "vent" today because I feel my "dream"/career aspirations of learning and doing well in web design and other computer programming possibilities is being threatened by my own fear of man.

Do I ever get tired of doing the right thing? May it never be.  But I am haunted by the specter of employment in the same venues as I have been in. Not that I have been in appalling conditions by any standard, but certainly comfortable. 

I do not wish to ruminate indefinitely about my vocation. But web design is a particularly viable option if I am willing to go there. It answers to every rational conclusion as to why or why not. 

One reason among many is that I relish the thought of self-employment. Perhaps it is a selfish desire, a backlash, if you will, against the economic uncertainty of the times we live in. But it is never a bad idea.

The question is, is it right for me? The answer scares me.  I hope it is.

CHROME SHINES

How could I not introduce a new blog post on this same subject (see last post) without inserting a corny title? You know me better than that.

Well, I just wanted to blog in Chrome because it does such a wonderful job of not screwing up the formatting like IE9RC (see previous post) !!! Sorry, my impartiality slipped a little there.

SOME IE9 QUIRKS

This is a test post to see if Internet Explorer 9 (Release Candidate 9.0.8080.16413, to be exact :) allows me (yet) to "bold" my font on blogger.com. It seemed like the last time I used IE9, certain formatting buttons would not function at all, or incorrectly.

Well, I'm giving IE9RC another shot! Wow, it works!!! OK, I had to use the keyboard.

Now let's try underlining...yup. OK, I had to use the keyboard again. If I use the formatting buttons here on Blogger, IE9RC causes the cursor to jump to another location and skip formatting altogether. Some release candidate! Just kidding (sort of).

Colored font? Here is the key: Select the color you want before typing. You cannot select text to change its color after you have typed it. Done!

Here is the scoop in a nutshell: Color your font before typing when using IE9RC. You can select text after typing to bold, italicize, and underline-- but not color. This is for IE9 only!  Clear? Also, consider the background color(s) of your blog. This may cause difficulty reading too similar or clashing colored font/backgrounds.

My other concern is seeing all of my previous posts for the last 7-ish years in this template! Whoa! Can I read all of it? We'll see...

IE9RC is quirky. I just tried formatting this text with the buttons: no go. Keyboard shortcuts work, however. This combination of functionality/nonfunctionality can be frustrating. Go back to Chrome (http://chrome1.net/), et al, for this quirk to be non-existent.

Questions? Comments. Have a nice session!

TIME TO BLOG ABOUT SOMETHING

All right, the planets have lined up once again, prompting me (somehow) to blog-- just like my twin brother! The trick about blogging is getting to the point where you feel strongly enough about something to want to blog (i.e., write online in your own personal forum). Somehow, by God's grace, that inspiration of sorts carries you through the end of the post (blog entry).

After changing (improving) the appearance of this blog recently-- by way of Blogger's new templates and features (thank you, HTML5 and CSS3!!!)--I felt compelled and inspired to write... er, I mean, blog about something.

I think it would be a good idea if, before the end of this post, I reveal to you, dear reader, what that something is. But I digress.

Really!

DANGER: POINTLESS POST AHEAD...

It is a dangerous thing to blog without a point, a reason to vent, a source of inspiration. Why?  Because, on a day like today, when it is more of a diary than a blog, I may engage in self-talk rather than a discussion, as it were.

Kind of like hitting a few tennis balls around...

FOLLOW-UP

Well, I just watched said-video (see previous post below). I cannot embed it here, so you will have to (or, you may want to) watch it over there.

Let me just conclude by quoting what I find to be a hilariously funny description by Justin Taylor (author of said blog in previous post) of Rob Bell as being "studiously ambiguous in terminology." Having seen his videos in meetings at church, I can fully attest to this unvarnished truth! I have never read or heard a better way to describe his teaching style.

That is a classic case of an intellectually honest assessment. Justin is being charitable here, as we all should be. That is the hilarity of it! Rather than engaging in emotional name-calling, Taylor calls it like he and most people see it.

Thanks, Justin.

THE POWER OF SOCIAL NETWORKING

Holy cow! (A good former Roman Catholic can say that guiltlessly.)  But I digress.

I want to state somehow the vast importance of Internet communication, particularly social networking (Twitter, Facebook, email, and blogs).  This is how many beliefs are discovered, cultivated, and, when necessary, abandoned.

Here is the path I followed to find a seismic issue brewing among the Christian community in real life and cyberspace: universalism. Not only that, but a universalism seemingly promoted if not taught or embraced by a leading preacher in the Christian world: Rob Bell.

I am not willingly engaging in name-dropping/name-calling or whatever. But I feel I am standing on good, solid ground when I post these links to show you how I found a very hot issue - hell - at the very core of his and others' error, namely, that there is no such thing.

I want to retrace my "steps" from my email alert that my income tax return had been accepted, and that I could "tweet" and "Facebook" my glee for all the world to see how TaxACT Online got me there!

Naturally, I clicked on both links, the one leading to Facebook, and the other leading to... Twitter! Here, I found among my tweets one from someone who posted a link to "The Lesson of David Swing." This blog post is about false teaching in the church, and has a link to "information" about Rob Bell being, or showing signs of being, a universalist-- one who embaces the false doctrine that no one goes to hell, and everyone goes to Heaven. So the gospel is an exercise in fertility?

Now, this article riveted my attention! It is found in the Gospel Coalition blog, and has updates at the end which shed more light (see Updates 2 and 3 at the bottom of it). It also includes a video of Rob Bell saying things which made (and make) many a knowledgeable Christian sit up and take note, though not in a good way-- but in an alarming way!

I have yet to watch the video. I will do so now and comment forthcoming...

WORLDVIEW LEGACY

I am seriously considering changing the name of this blog to "Worldview Legacy" because:

1. No one reads this blog.
2. ...and number two, this blog will be up here on the "Internets" forever!!!

With that said, let me parenthetically express my dismay that Internet Explorer did not allow my toolbar in Blogger.com to function correctly, to wit, embolden my font! Well, I just closed IE and opened Google Chrome instead! Fine.

As I was saying, this blog is turning into a legacy, what with almost seven years of posting goin' on, I can't help but think I'm onto something!

God bless and save the Internet in its totality!

THE FUN CONTINUES

Here at Worldview Window, we pride ourselves (myself) on accurate, amateur, blog journalism. Whenever we can, we uncover a mystery by supplying relevant, hard-hitting links to news sources and commentary worth reading about.

Now for the meat. By way of Rush Limbaugh's site, I found an article in The UK Daily Mail Online which, as usual, does nothing to vindicate the anti-"Truther/Birther" movement (those who wish to put "President" Obama's constitutionality, or lack thereof, to rest). Once again, no light has been shed, no clarity has been achieved. But a lot of hot air and obfuscation has been perpetuated in this account as well. What else can "they" do but stall and throw nebulous statements of certainty at the issue.

I am still not convinced that Obama is not hiding the fact (I think) that he was not, in fact, born in the USA. Why the secrecy, obfuscation, and controversy over a supposedly settled issue?

Because it is not settled. Yet. Stay tuned.

OK, WORDPRESS IS COOL

Well, I just wanted to chime in on WordPress. I like it, for what it's worth. It's free, like Google Blogger. But it has shortcomings in features available (for free) which Blogger provides (again, for free).

This is the world of choices we live in, thank God.

VANISHING POINT

Today I had a pleasant surprise: I found out my former boss READS MY BLOG!!! Now I have three readers (myself, a good friend, and he)!

All kidding aside, I know there are also robot programs that comment on my blogposts with nonsense or advertisements. That's encouraging. Even "code" likes my blog!

So, why do I call this blog post "Vanishing Point?" Because I feel (and think) that there is a time when a blog's usefulness (marginal utility) diminishes to zero. That is, its relevance to the blog owner's life and concerns--be they political, religious, economic, social, and so on-- may change. Even though he or she may feel differently about it, the readership (thank God for them) may still enjoy and derive some intangible benefit from it. This is good, and is an encouragement to me the author as a point of inspiration to continue the endeavor.

Which brings me to my point: out of sheer thankfulness, I can now focus my efforts--such as they are (LOL)-- on a wider audience.  Fifty percent wider! Now that's progress.

STILL OPERATIC ON UBUNTU

I seem to be in a Linux (Ubuntu) frame of mind lately, as far as blogging is concerned. Even though I am listening to American Vision's Gary DeMar speak about Matthew 24, I am still blogging the praises of Opera and Ubuntu (see previous posts). Both Linux and eschatology are fascinating and interesting.
Mind you, there are drawbacks to running Linux. There is no Internet Explorer in a Linux world (yet). There are limits to browser functionality in Linux versus Windows, which is why I praise Opera so much lately. I am finding out just how limited the other browsers are, and how Opera overcomes those limitations (usually).
Thanks for visiting.

SURPRISED BY OPERA

As a retro journey to Linux excursions-gone-by, I am blogging about a pleasant surprise I experienced with Opera (the web browser) in Ubuntu Linux (which I have previously blogged about).

It seems that Opera has out-performed other browsers on my Linux desktop (Firefox, Chrome). In terms of media players (extensions/add-ons that play in the browser window), Opera is, well, a pleasant surprise. It has proven again and again that it makes playing media on different websites possible when other browsers fail.

Another key feature which has proven its functionality in this context is Lastpass. Opera installs this tremendous add-on for you, once you have visited the appropriate page and clicked on the easy-to-follow links and popup boxes. With the other browsers, you need a certificate in Linux-based file management to install this and other add-ons programs. :(

Well, that's all for now. Listening to The Antipodean Hour is one of my favorite occasional Preterist Pastimes.

LIGONIER IN UBUNTU

The itch to blog is sometimes a difficult one to scratch. But I usually enjoy doing so at the playing of some video which I find edifying, such as that found at Ligonier.org. Mind you, this link will probably expire before or soon after you access it. 

"Ubuntu," for the unwashed masses, is a version of Linux which I installed (somehow) on my Windows-based PC. I am playing a video from Ligonier's Together for the Gospel 2006 Conference. Kind of boring, but it fills a void.

Well, thanks for reading.

OPERA IN UBUNTU?

This is a test post using Opera in Ubuntu.

REDISCOVERING LINUX AGAIN!!!

In the past, I have used this blog to chronicle my ventures into open source software. Perhaps a scan of posts-gone-by in my Blog Archive (on the right side, scroll down a bit) will yield the accounts of my brief excursion into Linux, which ended in utter disgust because of its continual need for fixing and my endless investigations into how to do so. "Exasperating" is the word I would use here.

But, lo and behold, Ubuntu has redeemed Linux from my OS anathema. It can be a little slow at times. In fact, my computer "crashed" (froze) while I was using Ubuntu to surf and play multimedia. Oh well, I just restarted it (rebooted in Ubuntu) and it has been performing admirably for the most part.

I am playing a media file in Firefox using Ubuntu's plug-in player, the name of which escapes me, and I hope to revisit it for future reference. RhythmBox is the iTunes equivalent for Ubuntu. Very impressive features.

Though simpler looking, Ubuntu Linux can be extremely entertaining and more fun to run than Windows. This has been a free review of Ubuntu Linux 10.04 LTS (Long Term Support).

OH, NO, I'M NOT EVANGELICAL!!!

Here is the latest snippet of discouragement which I encountered while exploring Praxis Church online. I found it in their study guide to the sermon, "The Survivor's Guide to the Apocalypse."

"Debates about eschatology (the study of end times) go back to the very beginning of the Christian faith. In fact, Paul deals with such discussions in 2 Timothy 2:18. Men named Hymenaeus and Philetus were teaching that Jesus’ second coming had already occurred and so the people were waiting in vain. Paul calls this teaching “irreverent babble” that could lead people astray. Ironically, I think much of the recent debate about Eschatology could be described the same way." [emphases mine]

Here is the clincher:

"Full preterism—which insists that every prophecy and promise in the NT was fulfilled by a.d. 70—is not a legitimate evangelical option, for it:

• denies Jesus’ future bodily return;
• denies the physical resurrection of believers at the end of history; and
• denies the physical renewal/re-creation of the present heavens and earth (or their replacement by a “new heaven and earth”).

However, preterists who (rightly) insist that these events are still future are called “partial preterists.” [bullet points added]

Why does a sincere challenge by fellow Christians toward preterism engender this struggle within me to run back to futurism? Can I be that wrong, that I am utterly deluded by preterism's simplicity-- its logical conclusions, its water-tight explanations, its contrarian reputation, its minority report among evangelicals? I don't know.

I know condemnation is not from the Lord to His people. I know who it comes from.

Still, I feel I must justify my position, such as it is, or abandon it completely. So help me God.

POST-ELECTION POLITICAL PARODY

Allow me to indulge in a little irreverent revelry after a huge victory for conservative/Christian/Republican citizens of our USA.




Follow the line of arguments put forth by classical liberalism in response to common sense and reasonable discourse. What fun!

A MILLENNIAL POST

Today (more precisely, this morning), I installed a link to my brother's website, "Postmillennial Christian" (see under Great Links and My Favorite Sites to the right).

APOLOGETIC

What kind of a lame, lifeless, non-post was that (see previous post)? I mean, did the world suddenly become perfectly aligned with the Word of God, that I did not have to blog about something? What gives?

I've been collaborating with a friend of mine on his website, Apocalypse of Christ. If you visit my page, Eschatology in a Nutshell, you will see (indeed, if you visit) what he and I have been hashing out from the Scriptures and from other Preterists (Christians who came to believe in the fulfillment of the Scriptures as Jesus said they would be).

I understand this is the minority report in terms of mainline Christianity (a safe place to be?). Perhaps life circumstances and temporary insanity have plagued my senses and forced me into a corner of "seeing" the Bible through New Covenant eyes. We don't agree about everything. But we agree we should find the truth!

BLOG: THE MOVIE

To blog, or not to blog. That is the question.

I must say, with all of this excitement and hoopla about the movie, "Social Network" (a movie about the creation of Facebook), I am waiting for a Peter-Benchley-type novel to be converted to a full-length feature film called, "Blog." Steven Spielberg, suit up!

Well, I am only kidding. I think.

OUR LORD, COME

Here is a very interesting article which I read just now and thought I would share:

"Maranatha! What Difference Does It Make?"

It is by Mark D. Roberts, a pastor/author/speaker/blogger by his own admission. I seldom read his blog articles, but this headline grabbed my attention, especially in light of my current obsession with eschatology.

As you may or may not have noticed, I have Dr. Roberts' website (blog) listed on My Blog List on the right side of my blog. Just a very interesting tidbit of background on why we say what we say, regardless of the theological weight we place upon it. Let us be mindful of its fulfillment and ongoing implications.

PRETERISTS UNITE!!!

My good friend (and fellow Preterist-in-progress, whose name shall be "Kerry" at this point) and I have discussed fulfilling a request by Gary Demar to bring about some sort of formulation online or in print regarding the Preterist understanding of eschatology, which is the study of last things in theology. We shall happily undertake this endeavor (did I say we shall enjoy it?)!

What I intend to do is create a page on his site, Apocalypse of Christ, about preterist eschatology and the myriad Scriptures supporting it. Not that Scripture can support "anything," but that Scripture can be interpreted because of it. That is our underlying and overarching belief, that preterism "unlocks" Bible prophecy like other interpretive systems only wish they could. Hint of boasting in the Lord, no doubt. Repentance is forthcoming and conditional upon our inaccuracy, the Lord willing.

Well, without further ado, I want to lay down the groundwork for this labor of love. A "project" implies an end. I suppose we could arrive at our destination, which is a comprehensive-- if not exhaustive-- eschatology, answering most "end of the world" questions which Christians and all people should be asking.

POSTMILLENNIALISM AND PEACE WITH GOD

While I have the day off, and therefore, the time to do this, I want to post a link to American Vision for a glowing article on post-millennialism's positive influence in the world. It is called, "The Power of Giving a Book," by Joel McDurmon. It shows one of postmil's many success stories.

I do this because I want to maintain an open mind about eschatology. I realize no one person is 100% right about everything. But, collectively, we born-from-above Christians can pool our resources and come up with something closer to the truth than if we otherwise go it alone.

Thanks for your readership.

BODY VS. BODIES

I was listening to Marquis Laughlin reading Philippians 2-4 at BibleGateway.com, and heard two very interesting phrases: "our lowly body"; and "His glorious body."(Philippians 3:20-21)

At this point, I recalled hearing (or reading) a commentary on Paul's use of the singular form of the word "body" here. This is very significant (if you're a preterist) because Paul is referring to a singular noun in the first-person plural sense, i.e., "our lowly body"-- not bodies!

Hmmm. "Our... body" sounds as though to say we Christians are all part of the same body (of Christ).  I'll buy that.

In Ephesians 3:4-6, Paul says:

"When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel."

Would Paul be implying that, collectively, the Body of Christ (the church) would be like His glorious body? Would he be referring to a spiritual body instead of a physical one, in that case?

Just a thought.

CRAZY FOR THEOLOGY

Yes, it's true: I am a closet Preterist, with Futurist tendencies.

That's a good thing, right?

I mean, the possibility that I'm wrong about theology is far greater than the possibility that I'm right. And I'd rather admit I was wrong, than go on thinking I was right, when I wasn't. Does that sound crazy?

As long as Scriptures come up that seem to suggest if not mandate a bodily resurrection, I'm not ruling it out. There are plenty of futurists out there who will lend a credible warning to us followers of Christ who think maybe Jesus came in 70 AD as He said he would, that we're not Christians!

I believe in the Second Coming of Christ! I just think He came already. He is here!

Atheists use Jesus' own words "against" Him. They say, oh, He said He would return "soon." Oh well, I guess He forgot to come! Here we are, 2000 years later (almost), and He still hasn't "come again." Then they assert, that's why I'm not a Christian!

Late night musings.

HERE I STAND... NO, WAIT!

Another Scripture which ruptures my infallible belief in Preterism is Matthew 10:28.

"And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.[f1]"(Matthew 10:28 ESV)

[Footnotes]

=============

[1] 10:28 Greek Gehenna

Hmmm. "Destroy both soul and body." Sounds like a physical body got thrown into eternal punishment (Gehenna).

GOOD NEWS

I've been seriously looking into this whole preterist thing. I mean, being told I am in heresy, and I am embracing a false (another) gospel is bad, bad, bad. I have done everything in my power to re-educate myself in the ways of futurism, i.e., watched a Greg Laurie sermon on the Second Coming of Christ, and read Calvin's Institutes about the resurrection of the flesh. This, and praying that God would deliver me from false doctrine must be a good start on the road to repentance, recovery, and reform, right?

Well, I guess it's working. Now I'm scared out of my wits to even "go there" anymore. Blood really is thicker than water!

Gosh, now what am I? A confused, recovering (full) Preterist. May the God of the Bible have mercy on me and all those nasty full-preterists out there on the Internet. Aarrrgh!

THE NEW WORLD OUT-OF-ORDER

For those of us who have been monitoring, albeit informally, the progress of the New World Order (a la Alex Jones and others), I happily stumbled upon an article on Townhall by Victor Davis Hansen, the esteemed historian/farmer who can melt petrified wood with his liquid "dulcet-toned" voice on Hugh Hewitt's radio show.

The article, "The New Old World Order," describes a host of problematic tendencies by independent nations to revert to their ancient rivalries and hostilities, in spite of the best intentions of the Bilderberg Group and others who were hoping (and planning) for a nice, clean world takeover.

Oh, well. I guess we will have to reform human nature (wink, wink, nod, nod) before that takes place. Until then, we civilized Christians and others will have to settle for World War III.

THE GOOD OLD DAYS

Can I wax nostalgic for a minute or two?

I was just thinking about how nice it was to be "self-sufficient," when I had a full-time job with benefits. Then I am reminded of the restrictions on those perks which I enjoyed "under the whip" of my employer. No offense intended, just a comment on reality.

Now I am haunted by another reality: starting over (by God's grace). I am not feeling assured at all about my future, except for my salvation through Jesus Christ. My economic situation is taking a lot of my mental energy these days, and it can be taxing (pun intended).

While I enjoy the "freedom" of unemployment to a certain extent (sleeping in 'till 6am, eating lunch when I'm hungry-- not on a schedule, driving around looking at the world around me instead of being stuck inside of a building all day), that joy is tempered by financial considerations. Like I said, I am enjoying it while I can.

I do not want to be herded in with the "moochers" of society. I do have some decent prospects for employment. But, rightly so, I am feeling a twinge of guilt about not pursuing it as hard as I should.

FROM ROCK-AND-ROLL TO THE ROCK

Here is a link to Preterist TV, where you can watch Marty Angelo give a very thorough testimony to Steve Schneider ("Steve Saint John") on Steve's "Prison Outreach Worldwide (POW) Ministries" radio program.

There, now that I've linked all that stuff up, I can enjoy the rest of the videos. Marty has a very peaceful demeanor and warm tone in his conversation with Steve. Not to brag, but my connection to Steve is that he came to speak at my church's singles ministry class for four weeks while our regular teacher went on a very adventurous vacation. Steve was also the keyboardist for the Christian group Petra back in 1979-80. Both are awesome, God-using speakers.

I highly recommend both of their ministries' resources.

WORLDVIEW RETOOL

The itch to blog must be scratched. One cannot resist the urge, especially while listening to audio podcasts of the Covenant Creation Conference on Preterist Radio.

I just got through watching The Obama Deception and Endgame, both produced by Alex Jones.

Being unemployed affords me the "luxury" of watching and listening to worldview-changing media which, I pray, will equip me to serve the Lord better.

GOOD NEWS... RIGHT?

"For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes."(I Corinthians 11:26 ESV)

I searched for "1 corinthians 11:26" on Eschatology.org , and found this article by Don Preston, who I believe is the driving force (or one of them) behind the current Preterist Reformation. It is called, "Until He Comes."

Incidentally, as I began listening to a podcast of Ed Stevens on Preterist Radio, I thought of the term Preterist Reformation. To my delight, Mr. Stevens used (if not coined) that very concept in his program! Well, you know the old saying about thinking alike...

After reading the section in Until He Comes on Christ's second coming and the Lord's Supper, I now know that Mr. Preston has indeed respectably and credibly defended the preterist interpretation of this passage.

Wow!

REFORMED PRETERIST

The nice thing about having a blog is you can post a well-(or at least, much-)thought out piece about whatever you want.

In this post, I want to register my concern about my own view of the Second Coming of Christ.

I understand and embrace the preterist view of Christ coming in judgment in 70AD. Jesus did say,"Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.(Matthew 24:34)

Amen.

Yet, I am currently struggling with the Scripture in 1 Corinthians 11:26.

"For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. "

Well, since He came in judgment on Jerusalem (and the Old Testament/Covenant) in 70 A.D. , then why do we still celebrate the Lord's death if He came already?

Hmmm... Makes me wonder how preterist I can be. This is a wonderful dilemma because it forces me to search the Scriptures, my heart, and other people's insights into what the Word of God really teaches. Of course, my prayer is that the Holy Spirit would guide me to all truth, in Jesus name.

I go back to the cross, back to the old Protestant Reformation mantra: reformata et semper reformanda.

Reformed and always reforming.

SOUND BITE OF THE WEEK

Here is a really decent video of "President" Barak Obama talking with Turkish university students in Istanbul on April 7, 2009. I was tripped up by his comment in minute 34:00 of the video:

"And I also think that people were encouraged that somebody like me who has a background of living overseas, who has Muslims in his family -- you know, that I might be able to help to build bridges with other parts of the world."

Since when did the constitution warn us not to elect a person who lived overseas? He knows what the real controversy is about: not his family's mobility and religion; but, about his own truthfulness.

Sorry, this video does a lot of damage to his credibility in my eyes. You can watch it at:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/video/The-President-Talks-with-Students-in-Turkey

You can read the transcript at:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-barack-obama-student-roundtable-istanbul

ALL OTHER GROUND IS SINKING SAND

I don't know whether this post will contribute to the discussion, or detract from it. But I feel the need to rectify my perspective.

It's all about Jesus, not my eschatology.

I searched for and found a decent video with the song, "On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand." All praise and glory go to God.

Here is an excellent treatment (rendition) by Crystal Lewis. Enjoy, and praise the Lord.

CAN WE TALK?

The reason I named this post, "Can We Talk?" is that I feel the need to clarify my position on eschatology. I read Acts 1:11 this morning. It shook my fledgeling preterist worldview to its core. I am still working through the rubble. It is the account of Jesus' ascension into heaven.

"Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing into heaven? This Jesus who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven."

I don't see how it could be any clearer. I know and believe the preterist interpretation of the Lord's predictions about his coming again in judgment on Jerusalem in 70 AD. But this verse says something in addition to that.

I have seen and read William Bell's fine article, "He Came In Like Manner: A Study of Acts 1:11." But I fail to embrace his position without reservations.

Perhaps I need a little more enlightenment. I pray for such, in Jesus' name, amen.