August Already???

Hard to believe that we are already in August. This year has absolutely flown by. We finished our series in Matthew this summer and I’ve been excited about the response to our Strategic Plan Series the past few weeks. 

I’d encourage you to not let this just be another sermon series though, find ways to apply the points we have been making. This will become all the more important as we move into our study of Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus. Ephesians is looking to be a great study, right now much shorter than Matthew only 19-20 weeks with a break in December for a great Christmas sermon series we are working on. 

But more exciting than the length or anything like that we as elders are excited about the spiritual growth that we anticipate as we build week to week through the fall. 

Our central theme finishing out 2023 and into 2024 is “A Church Built on Christ”.  

The world around us may be in chaos but we have a firm foundation in Christ. Will you join us over the next few months as we seek to be the church that God desires for us to be? 

Side note: I’ll be making a supply run to Cuba probably in September and right now have a full trip planned for February of 2024. If you would like to join me on either trip, please let me know asap, I’d love to have you join me! 

Blessings

Pastor Jonathan 

Kingdom Focused Prayer

 Greetings Palm View Family!

I am going to be using the next several months to begin introducing some strategies that I have found very effective in the past. I believe that we are far enough removed from the hysteria surrounding Covid that we can make some strong forward movement instead of the little jumps and treading water. There are a total of 7 strategies I want to lay out and then in July, we will spend some intentional time preaching and teaching on them. 

The first strategy that I want to introduce to you is one that I have taught on in the past on Wednesday nights in the past, but we are going to really set an emphasis on this in 2023 and that is Kingdom Focused Prayer. Let me start off by giving a base definition for what I mean. Kingdom-Focused Prayer is prayer focused on God’s presence and kingdom. These are always Bold and Specific prayers which are Persistent, Prevailing, and Corporate prayers. These prayers are focused less on self and more on the kingdom needs.

 Oswald Chambers: “Prayer does not equip us for greater works; prayer IS the greater work.” 

There are many different methods and forms of prayer some better than others, but I believe that the most God-honoring prayer will always rely on a Kingdom-Focused approach. Why? Because this is the model you see taught in Scripture. In Matthew 6:9-13 when the Disciples ask Jesus to teach them to pray, He teaches them using a Kingdom-Focused approach. The prayers of the Old Testament prophets and leaders also echo a Kingdom Focused approach.  

Clearly, the Lord’s Prayer teaches us that it is appropriate to pray for personal needs. Jesus asks God to supply “our daily bread” (Matt. 6:11), which is another way of asking our Father to supply all of our needs.

Jesus also shows the appropriateness of praying for personal needs in giving us petitions that lead us to call upon God to forgive us our individual sins and be with us in temptation (vv. 12–13).

Selfless prayer however is not incompatible with prayer for individual needs, so we should never think that it is wrong to ask the Lord to grant personal requests, knowing that He will do so when they are in line with His sovereign will.

Still, Jesus does not make personal needs the focus of the Lord’s Prayer but rather the kingdom of God.

This is where He starts the prayer, linking the petition for the kingdom to come with a request that God’s name be hallowed (vv. 9–10).

Jesus is using the kingdom of God here to refer specifically to that realm where people do His will freely and joyfully. Because God’s will is done freely and joyfully in this kingdom, His name is hallowed or regarded as holy by the kingdom’s citizens.

Our Father, of course, is King of creation, but this reign is not yet universally acknowledged. To pray that people would regard the name of the Creator as holy is to pray for them to submit to His rule and for His kingdom to come. To pray for His kingdom to come is to pray for His name to be hallowed.

John Calvin comments, “The substance of this prayer is, that God would enlighten the world by the light of his Word — would form the hearts of men, by the influences of his Spirit, to obey his justice, and would restore to order, by the gracious exercise of his power, all the disorder that exists in the world.”

God’s kingdom is the focus of the Lord’s prayer, so we pray rightly only when we ask for His kingdom to come.

Bottom line is this, prayer is not a tool to change the heart or mind of God. The immutability of God (His quality of not changing) is clearly taught throughout Scripture. For example, in Malachi 3:6 God affirms, "I the Lord do not change." (See also Numbers 23:19; 1 Samuel 15:29; Isaiah 46:9-11; and Ezekiel 24:14.)

James 1:17 also teaches the immutability of God: “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness nor shadow of turning.” The “shadow of turning” refers to our perspective on the sun: it is eclipsed it moves and it casts its shadow. The sun rises and sets, appears, and disappears every day; it comes out of one tropic and enters into another at certain seasons of the year.

But with God, who, spiritually speaking, is light itself, there is no darkness at all; there is no change with Him, nor anything like it.

God is unchangeable in His nature, perfections, purposes, promises, and gifts. He, being holy, cannot turn to that which is evil; nor can He, who is the fountain of light, be the cause of darkness. Since every good and perfect gift comes from Him, evil cannot proceed from Him, nor can He tempt any to it (James 1:13).

The Bible is clear that God does not change His mind, His will, or His nature.

So, if God doesn’t change His mind or plan when we pray what is the point? 

When we pray, we are not asking God to change His mind rather that He would change ours and us to conform to Him. 

Friends,  this is where it gets hard. We MUST stop seeking our will rather the Father’s will be done. When we gather together to pray our primary focus should not be on fixing the things of the world around us rather on the kingdom of God fixing our own hearts to be aligned with His.

God is the high priority in the model prayer given by our Lord.

The best Greek manuscripts omit the closing sentence: “ ‘For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen’ ” (Matt. 6:13). However, there is abundant evidence that these words were used almost universally in the worship of the early church. Some believe congregations recited these words in unison after each petition. If they did, then focus on the kingdom of God is underscored.

 

So, to sum this all up, what is kingdom-focused prayer?

 It is not mere instinctive prayer, but it is Spirit-enabled...

 It is not man-centered, but God-centered...

 It is not self-serving or sentimental, but Scriptural—in both principle and content...

 It is not timid, but bold!!!

 It is not passive resignation, but proactive cooperation...

 It is both solo and concerted...

Kingdom Focused Prayer is the Spirit-enabled cry of God’s adopted children seeking their Father’s glory by persistently asking Him for the nations, their promised inheritance.

 The Reformers prayed big prayers. The Protestant Reformation was initiated, achieved, and maintained by big prayers.

 Martin Luther believed in praying big prayers. He taught, “The Lord is great and high, and therefore He wants great things to be sought from Him and is willing to bestow them so that His almighty power might be shown forth.” Thus, Luther prayed: “Dear Lord, I know that You have still more, You have much more than You can ever bestow; in You I shall never want, for if there were need, the heavens would rain guilders [dollars]. Be my treasury, my cellar, my storehouse; in You have I all riches; if I have You, I have enough.”

God indicates there is nothing too hard for Him (see Jer. 32:27), and so He challenges us to pray big prayers: “ ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know’ ” (Jer. 33:3).

Will you join me this year in Kingdom-Focused Prayer for our churches and our community? Will you pray a big, bold, persistent, prayer that God would change your heart to be in harmony with His no matter what it might be that you have to give up? Would you pray that your life and your breath would be honoring to Him? That the gospel would go forth and lives would be changed through your obedience? Will you pray that with me this year?

Now for the How...

Here is an outline you can follow:

Kingdom-Focused Model Prayer:

 PRAISE:

• Psalm 42
  
  
• Thanksgiving

CONFESSION:

• We cannot confess other people’s sin, but we should stand blameless before God when we make requests.

KINGDOM REQUESTS:

• pray for your church elders/deacons by name

• pray for one aspect of our church’s ministry — whichever is on your heart 

• pray for a lost person to be saved 

• pray for a missionary you know, for a mission country on your heart

GOD’S WILL: 

• for yourself/someone you know

REQUESTS:

• others on your heart 

• your own special requests

FORGIVENESS:

• ask for your own 

• ask God to show you anyone you haven’t forgiven

PROTECTION:

• ask God to protect your marriage/family/kids/ someone traveling/ guard our church from Satan’s schemes.

SUBMISSION: 

• for Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen

Serving the Community

Part 5 of our Strategic Plan series takes a different focus. As we looked at the other three Key Strategies and the Enabling Strategy of Kingdom Prayer there was quite a bit of inward focus. Looking at how we respond to what God is doing in our lives. In a way this final Key Strategy is the ultimate response but rather than being inward, it is community focused. 

I am going to offer more questions than answers this month, but I think that is a good thing. 

First off, I want to start with the question, how do we at Palm View serve our community? 

Yes, we have our food pantry which through its amazing volunteers cares for the underserved and struggling in our community by providing a small bag of groceries each week. But more than that what are we doing to intentionally share the gospel with those folks? We are feeding them physically but are we doing anything to feed them spiritually? 

Another question in this area would be whether is there anything more that we could do even if it requires more volunteers or resources than we currently have? James and Paul both place emphasis on the importance of caring for the widows and orphans. What are we doing to fulfill God’s Word in regard to those areas? 

A third question is what kind of name does Palm View have in the community? Do people hear our name and ask where is? Do they hear our name and have a bad taste in their mouth? Or do they associate our name with the love and mercy which we have received being shown freely? Maybe take a few minutes and ask your neighbors or coworkers? 

Finally, how are we praying for our community? Are we going about our day, just getting by, living Sunday to Sunday with a week going by without us spending more than a few fleeting seconds in communion with God in prayer? 

As I said more questions than answers, but all these questions are important, and the answers well... those are going to be interesting. 

Three Modes to Evangelism

Greetings Palm View Family! 

 

April is already off to a great start with our 65th Anniversary this past weekend and Easter this weekend we have an excellent opportunity to share our faith with those who might not normally attend church. 

 

I want to keep to our theme working through the 2024 Strategic Plan that we have been developing. So far this year we have looked at the topics of Kingdom focused prayer, glorifying God in meaningful worship, and making mature disciples.

 

 

This month we are focused on Evangelism. So, to start us off I want to ask the question what is evangelism? 

In its most basic form evangelism is the telling of the good news of Jesus. The word evangelize comes from the Latin evangelizare, "to spread or preach the Gospel," with the Greek root euangelizesthai, or "bring good news." Now this is not something that most believers would think twice on. It makes sense the message of the good news of Christ has been proclaimed for centuries, right? 

The better question would be who is called to evangelize? Who should be spreading the good news of the gospel? Over the last 200 years this has changed. Shifting responsibility to the pastor/shepherd rather than on the saint/sheep. However, scriptures are clear that the role of a pastor/shepherd is to equip believers to do the work of the ministry (Ephesians 4:12).

 

This doesn’t remove the burden of evangelism from the preaching ministry of the church, but it does shift the daily work of evangelism back where it belongs, on the shoulders of the church, the body of Christ.

 

So how does that work? To determine the answer to that question we must first define what the mode of evangelism. There are three base modes for evangelism. Natural Mode, Life Mode, Ministry Mode. Let me explain, Natural mode is relationally connecting to people God has put in your life. For you that may be co-workers, neighbors, or other parents on the same soccer team. Life mode is when you invite someone into Christian community, and they experience the body of Christ. They have the "There is something different about these people" thought as they meet others. This is done by inviting people to Church, or a Bible Study group. Finally, Ministry mode is what you think of when you think of classic evangelism styles. Having a spiritual conversation with someone you do not know. You can do this by taking a co-worker or friend to lunch and asking them about their faith.

 

The data shows that for someone to come to know Christ, a person needs to experience all three modes of evangelism. It's not likely that just one will work. If our evangelism strategy as a church is invite them to church so the pastor can preach Jesus into them, we have a serious problem. The great commission was not given solely to pastors rather it is for all believers that we are to “Go therefore and teach all nations.” That “go” is an active verb, meaning as we go out teaching, as we go out preaching, as we go out living our lives, we are to carry the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ with us. 

Are you evangelizing as you go? Are you wearing your Christianity so prominently on your person that the world looks and knows there is something different about you? 

If not, why not? 

Why not start today?

Pastor Jonathan 

Making Mature Disciples

For the last couple of months, we have been walking through a strategic plan which we hope to roll out soon. We talked about Kingdom-Focused Prayer in January and Glorifying God in Meaningful Worship last month. For March we are going to discuss what it means to Make Mature Disciples as it relates to Palm Views' direction over the next few years. 

So, that leads to the question what is a “Mature Disciple?”

The concept of a mature disciple refers to a believer who has grown in their faith and is living a life that is consistent with the teachings of Jesus Christ. 

There are eight key characteristics we see in scripture: 

1. Committed to Jesus Christ: A mature disciple is fully committed to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and seeks to live according to His teachings. They have a personal relationship with Jesus and are dedicated to following His example.

2. Deep knowledge of the Bible: A mature disciple has a deep understanding of the Bible and its teachings. They regularly study and apply its principles to their lives.

3. Prayerful: A mature disciple has a strong prayer life and regularly communicates with God.

4. Active in sharing the Gospel: A mature disciple is actively involved in sharing the Gospel with others and making disciples of all nations.

5. Fruitful: A mature disciple produces good fruit in their life, such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).

6. Humble and teachable: A mature disciple is humble and teachable, recognizing their need for continued growth and learning.

7. Faithful in service: A mature disciple is faithful in serving God and others. They use their gifts and talents to build up the church and make a difference in the world. This is not serving out of obligation rather that you love your church family and serve with a smile in your hearts. (Ephesians 4:11-16)

8. Filled with the Holy Spirit: A mature disciple is filled with the Holy Spirit and seeks to walk in obedience to His leading and guidance.

So, to sum it up, a mature disciple is deeply committed to Jesus Christ, has a deep understanding of the Bible, is prayerful, active in sharing the Gospel, fruitful, humble, teachable, faithful in service, and filled with the Holy Spirit.

With that definition in mind, how do we go about setting and accomplishing goals to make mature disciples? 

It begins with the disciplined teaching of the Bible in Sunday School, Bible Study, and small groups. Sound exegetical teaching is critical as this is the foundation for our understanding of God’s Word.

Sound teaching also leads to loving and effective church and personal spiritual disciplines. 

It also creates within us a love for one another and a love for the church that is centered on Christ. This empowers members to develop intentional relationships focused on sharing the gospel and the mentoring and maturing of new believers. 

Doctrinally sound teaching leads to people connecting in powerful new ways within the life of the church, engaging in worship, and serving. 

So how does this apply to you? 

Well, the first thing you need to ask yourself is, are you actively participating in weekly Bible Study? Not just listening to Bible studies online but actively participating. 

What I mean by that is you are going to get out of the study what you put into the study of God’s word. Luke 6:38 (ESV) “Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” Contextually this text is speaking of our relationships with others, and the process of becoming a mature disciple. 

I love how James puts it in the opening lines of his letter, “2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” James 1:2-5 (ESV)

Maturity comes from the testing of our faith; our faith is not tested in a vacuum. Proverbs 27:17 says, “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” 

Are you allowing yourself to be sharpened thus sharpening those around you? 

Another thought along this same line is that when you fail to join in worship and Bible study you are not the only one who is hindered. Both the church and the individual suffer when an individual withdraws for an extended period of time. You have to have something to sharpen against! 

Join with us this year as we seek to develop mature believers here at Palm View.

Believers who pour into the lives of others just as they themselves are poured into. 

Stay tuned for next month as we talk about how we apply our growth as disciples through evangelism and serving our community. 

Glorifying God in Meaningful Worship

In January I introduced you to Kingdom-Focused Prayer, this month I want to introduce you to the first of our four key strategies.  Glorifying God in Meaningful Worship

As I ponder this key strategy to our plan I wonder how much people actually understand the terms used just in the title. So let me give you the formal definitions to start off. 

Glorify = means to honor with praise, admiration, or worship; extol. to make glorious; invest with glory. to praise the glory of (God), especially as an act of worship. 

God = the creator and ruler of the universe and source of all moral authority; the author and power of our salvation. 

Meaningful = having meaning, having a deep, serious, important, or intentional purpose.

Worship = in its proper sense is to have or show a strong feeling of respect and admiration for God. The NIV Study Bible has a great explanation of this.  https://www.thenivbible.com/blog/worship-definition/

So with those definitions in mind, let's form our understanding of this strategy. 

To Glorify God in Meaningful Worship is to: approach worship intentionally and humbly, offering praise and adoration to God the author and power of our salvation for all that He has done for us. 

Today worship has come to mean what type of songs we sing or how long the pastor preaches. It is so often about what makes us comfortable, what is familiar. 

No one likes to think of themselves as self-centered but it is unavoidably part of human nature and we all suffer from it to some extent especially when it comes to how we respond in worship. 

The Pastors here at Palm View approach worship with a high view of God's sovereignty and scripture.  This involves a decrease in man-centeredness. 

We also believe in faith exegetical, expository preaching and teaching of God's Word. 

God is also glorified in meaningful worship by our faithful observance of the Christian ordinances of believers' baptism and the Lord's supper; through the worshipful singing of hymns and contemporary praise songs, and cheerful obedience in giving. 

So how do we apply this? Well, I am glad you asked! Here are some of the initial goals that we have thought about in regard to how this strategy would be implemented over the next couple of years. 

1. Goal: Expand service offerings to enable those working on Sunday to participate 
• Initiate one additional service – date/time TBD 
• Language-based ministry? Haitian and Hispanic demographics are the 2nd largest demographics in the region. 
  
  
2. Goal: Enhance routines to welcome 1st-time visitors and follow up with them
• Encourage completion of the visitor’s info card and follow up with an email and/or a phone call
  
  
3. Goal: Provide improved opportunities for new attendees to get to know the church & leaders
• Routinely hold a “newcomers” gathering to provide an opportunity for new attendees to get to know the pastor(s) and key aspects of the church’s beliefs
  
  
4. Goal: Enhance the “Lord Supper” time
• Lengthen the opportunity for reflection and confession
  
  
5. Goal: Enhance communication & transparency with the congregation
• Routinely communicate church financial status, capital needs, giving status, and progress against goals.  
• Provide better insight into church activities and opportunities to get involved
  
  
6. Goal: Develop ongoing communication with seasonal members/attendees
• Improve monthly newsletter and weekly emails
• Church Center App

Stay Tuned for Next Month: Making Mature Disciples

My Personal Kingdom Prayer Calendar

Using a model similar to what I posted yesterday I thought I would share a rough guide of where I go in my weekly prayer rotation. (Kingdom Prayer Model) 

— On Sundays, I pray for our church services, as well as for pastors and worship leaders I know all over the country who are doing God’s Kingdom’s work that day.

— On Mondays I pray for Pastor Willian Alvarez and Las Brisa’s Iglesias Baptista, and the pastors of Cuba and their families.

— On Tuesdays, I really focus on praying for God’s Kingdom work through our church, and I also pray for Educational Harbor Christian School, both the students and the teachers. I also pray specifically for Matt and Stacey Mayo and Derek and Stephanie Powers (Stacey and Stephanie are the administrators at Ed Harbor).

— Wednesdays I pray for North River Care, Anchor House, Guardian Angels, Bridge of Life, and Door of Hope. All these are local gospel-centered ministries based in our area.

— On Thursdays, I pray with our NAMB missionaries and church planters here in the U.S.

— Fridays I pray for several young men and women who have become pastors and missionaries out of churches I have served. I also pray for mission works I have been a part of in Thailand, Haiti, and Cuba.

— And on Saturdays, I pray for our Military chaplains serving both here in the US and overseas. I also pray that God would be preparing the hearts of those attending church services the next morning and that God would open their eyes and hearts to see and hear the good news of Christ.

This prayer list will look different for everyone but having an idea of where to start to create your own is very helpful! 

The key is to do it! 
 

Resurrection Day

I am sitting here working on my sermon for Sunday and I find it interesting that as I look back over the past ten years of sermons I've only preached on the actual resurrection on Resurrection Sunday three times. This year is no different, as we continue in our series on Matthews Gospel we look at the story of Jesus walking on the water.

This is a foreshadowing of the resurrection though as Jesus illustrates for the disciples not only His divine power over nature yet again, but His perfect grace as He reaches out and rescues Peter who was sinking into the waves in need of a Savior.

Sometimes that reminder is all we need to make it, other times we need the waves to slap us in the face a little to remind us of who is actually doing the saving...

Blessed and Broken

Had this thought that I didn't include in Sunday's message but I still felt like someone needed to hear it. In Matthew 14 Jesus does something subtle that is often overlooked when we read because of the amazing. We are naturally drawn to the multiplication of the loaves and fish and the end result we often miss the process. Jesus blessed them and then broke them.  I find this order of events intriguing. He blessed the loaves and fish and then broke them. 

 ...taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And they all ate and were satisfied... Matthew 14:19‭-‬20 

Jesus could have broken and then blessed but He didn't, he blessed then broke. 

So often we get this entitled feeling that because we are "blessed" to be called a child of God we are above being "broken," that we shouldn't have to suffer. Maybe it's the Western Christianity rearing up but I think even Paul and James both express the suffering and inconvenience that they endured for the Cross. 

The bread wasn't blessed because it was broken rather it was broken because it was blessed... 

Don't avoid the adventure because it's hard... 

Don't stay silent just to keep the peace... 

The real question here is "IF" you are blessed are you ready and willing to be broken? He must first break us to use us so it's not a matter of if but of when... 

Are you in the process of being broken but fighting it or dodging the pain instead of moving forward with the plans He has laid before you? 

Or perhaps you have already experienced a great deal of brokenness and you are bitter. 

Maybe just maybe we should all reflect back to the brokenness Christ displayed by taking up the cross for us? The humiliation He endured so that we might be spared the cup of wrath being poured out on us...

Anyways just a thought... 

Hermeneutics in Eschatology P5 Amillennialism

Definition:

Amillennialism [also termed Nunc-millennialism or inaugurated millennialism]

The amillennialist believes that the Kingdom of God was inaugurated at Christ's resurrection (hence the term "inaugurated millennialism") at which point he gained victory over both Satan and the Curse. Christ is even now reigning (hence the term "nunc-millennialism" — nunc means "now") at the right hand of the Father over His church. After this present age has ended, Christ will return and immediately usher the church into their eternal state after judging the wicked. The term "amillennialism" is actually a misnomer for it implies that Revelation 20:1-6 is ignored; in fact, the amillennialist's hermeneutic interprets it (and in fact, much of apocalyptic literature) non-literally.

Features and Distinctions:

• The favored method of interpretation is a redemptive-historical approach.
  
  
• Israel and the church: The church is the eschatological fulfillment of Israel.
  
  
• Kingdom of God: a spiritual reality that all Christians partake in and that is seen presently by faith, but will be grasped by sight at the consummation.
  
  
• The Rapture: The saints, living and dead, shall meet the Lord in the clouds and immediately proceed to judge the nations with Christ and then follow Him into their eternal state.
  
  
• The Millennium: inaugurated with Christ's resurrection. In an "already/not yet" sense, Christ already reigns over all creation and is already victorious over Satan.
  
  
• The Role of Satan: Satan’s influence has been diminished because he has been bound by Christ. Satan himself is not presently exerting influence over the world.
  
  
• Miscellaneous:
  • Higher degrees of interpreting prophecy in light of Christ's advent, death, resurrection, and glorification.
  • Relies heavily on a two-age theology.
    
    
• Major proponents: Augustine of Hippo, Martin Luther, John Calvin, Louis Berkhof, C. S. Lewis, R. C. Sproul.
  
  

Synopsis:

Eschatology is the study of the eschaton; the eschaton is equated with "last things." While other views focus on the final days of humankind on the earth, amillennialism sees "the last things" as having been initiated at Christ's resurrection and so, being applicable from the earliest days of the Christian church (Acts 2:16-21; 1 Corinthians 10:11; Hebrews 1:1-2; and 1 Peter 1:20).

The amillennialist perspective sees the whole of God's redemptive revelation as twofold - promise and fulfillment. 

The amillennial perspective emphasizes that the coming of the Kingdom of God is a two-part event. 

The first portion dawned at Christ's first advent (John the Baptist proclaimed at this time, "The kingdom of heaven is at hand" — Matthew 3:2).

At the cross, Christ won the final victory over death and Satan. And then He ascended to reign upon the throne of David forever (Luke 1:32-33; Acts 2:30-31). 

Now because we "look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:18) — because of this, the amillennialist sees the final things already accomplished, though not yet seen by sight, but by faith (2 Corinthians 5:7).

An important note is the amilleniallist's view of the church in this world: a role of suffering. The Christian will be hated by all, just as was Christ (Matthew 10:22), for a servant is not greater than his master.

Seeing this as the church's role on earth — to suffer as did Christ — the amillenialist can hold no hope for an earthly exaltation and longs for the fulfillment of the second stage of the coming of the Kingdom. 

This second stage of the amillennial perspective is the final consummation of all the heavenly promises. The Christian will no longer see by faith alone, but by sight. All the shadowy things will pass away and our eternal reign with Christ will begin. 

The amillennialist, expecting no earthly glory for the church, places all his hope on this heavenly glory.

Key Passages: John 5:28–29; Romans 8:17–23; 2 Peter 3:3–14; 2 Thessalonians 1:5–10

Key Terms:

1) Redemptive-Historical:  The redemptive-historical method studies God’s Word as the history of redemption as found in the unfolding and progressive revelation of God’s mighty acts for and in his people, in Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit. They argued that Old Testament narratives are not primarily to be moral examples, but as revelations of the coming Messiah. It, first of all, tells the account of God’s redemptive work and grapples with it in its historical setting. “Where does the narrative fit in the big picture?” The redemptive-historical approach also attempts to deal with the literary character of the passage. For example, Psalm 105 is a song of praise to a covenant-keeping God. When it is studied it should be studied as a song, not primarily as a synopsis of Israelite history, even though in a sense that is what it is.

2) Consummation: The eschatological fulfillment of God's covenants with His earthly creation.

3) Two-age Theology: The branch of theological study focusing particularly upon the already / not yet eschatology presented in Scripture (e.g., the fact that we are already raised up with Christ and seated in the heavens (Eph. 2:6), but still await bodily resurrection (1 Cor. 15:50); or that we are already glorified (Rom. 8:30), but glorification is the last stage of our salvation and still awaiting consummation).

Bibliography:

• Hoekema, Anthony. The Bible and the Future. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1994. (ISBN: 0802808514)
• Hendrikson, William. More Than Conquerors: An Interpretation of the Book of Revelation. Grand Rapids: Baker Books-, 1939. (ISBN: 0801057922)
• Beale, G.K. The Book of Revelation: A Commentary on the Greek Text. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1999. (ISBN: 0-8028-2174-X)
• Strimple, Robert B. "Amillennialism." Three Views of the Millennium and Beyond. Ed. Darrell L. Bock. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House,1999. (ISBN 0-310-20143-8)

• Vos, Geerhardus. The Pauline Eschatology. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1953.
• Vos, Geerhardus. Biblical Theology. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1953.
• Ridderbos, Herman. The Coming of the Kingdom. Philadelphia: Presbyterian &Reformed Publishing Company, 1962. (ISBN: 0-87552-408-7)

Hermeneutics in Eschatology P4 - Postmillennialism

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Disclaimer: 

Remember my intention is not to promote one view over another, these posts are intended to prepare you for the discussion and to help you form your own position. 

Definition:

Postmillennialism believes that the millennium is an era (not a literal thousand years) during which Christ will reign over the earth, not from a literal and earthly throne, but through the gradual increase of the Gospel and its power to change lives. 

After this gradual Christianization of the world, Christ will return and immediately usher the church into their final eternal state after judging the wicked. 

It is called postmillennialism because, according to this position, Christ will return after the millennium.

Distinctions:

• The favored method of Biblical interpretation is the covenant-historical.
  
  
• Its position on Israel and the church would be that the church is the fulfillment of Israel.
  
  
• The Kingdom of God represents a spiritual entity experienced on earth through the Christianizing affect of the Gospel.
  
  
• The Millennium is a Golden Age of Christianity that takes place prior to Christ's second advent during which Christ will virtually rule over the whole earth through an unprecedented spread of the Gospel; the vast majority of people will be Christian.
  
  
• There is no definitive position on the role of Satan within postmillennial thought.
  Some postmillennial theologians argue that Satan was bound by Jesus (similar to amillennialism), while others would argue it remains a future event (in agreement with premillennialism).
  
  
• Key Passages: Psalm 2; Isaiah 2:2–4; Matthew 13; 28; John 12.
  
  
• Miscellaneous:
  • Higher degrees of interpreting First Century events in the light of prophecy; preterism often goes hand-in-hand with postmillennialism.
  • Of the several versions of postmillennial eschatology, the reconstructionists seem to be gaining the most popularity in the world today.
    
    
• Major proponents: Jonathan Edwards, B. B. Warfield, Greg Bahnsen, Loraine Boettner, Kenneth L. Gentry Jr., David Chilton, and Gary North.

Synopsis:

You have very likely never met a committed proponent of postmillennialism. That was not always the case. Early in American history, postmillennialism was, in some sense, an American eschatology. Now it’s a theological peculiarity to hear someone speak of postmillennial ideas. In part, that’s because postmillennialism is a difficult system to quantify.

There are several different versions of postmillennialism, but one of the views gaining the most popularity is that of the theonomists. Generally speaking, the postmillennial theonomist viewpoint holds to a partial-preterist interpretation of Revelation and the various judgment prophecies in the Gospels, believing that the majority of those prophecies were fulfilled in 70 A.D. at the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem.

Postmillennialists see the millennial kingdom as the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham that he would become "a great nation" and that "all peoples on earth would be blessed" through him (Genesis 12:2-3). This holy reign will come about via gradual conversion (rather than premillennialism's cataclysmic Christological advent) through the spread of the Gospel — this incremental progress is drawn from many pictures found throughout Scripture. (Deuteronomy 7:22 and Ezekiel 47:1-12)

Postmillennial optimism is also nurtured through many of the prophetic Psalms. 

The Psalms often speak of all nations fearing Him, salvation being known among all nations, the ends of the earth fearing Him. 

(Psalm 2:1-12; Psalm 22:27; Psalm 67:2, Psalm 67:7; Psalm 102:15; Psalm 110:1). 

Another passage that well feeds this earthly optimism is Isaiah 2:2-3 in which the nations will stream to the righteousness of God.

Key Terms:

Covenant-Historical: Covenant theology is an approach to biblical interpretation that appreciates the importance of the covenants for understanding the divine-human relationship and the unfolding of redemptive history in Scripture. Blending insights from systematic and biblical theology, covenant theology explains the economic Trinity, communion with God, the person and work of Christ, the sacraments, justification by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, the role of obedience in the Christian life, the believer’s assurance of salvation, the unity and progress of redemptive history, and more, in light of the Bible’s teaching on the divine covenants.

Reconstructionist: Reconstruction, by definition, looks backward, seeking to reconstruct what is believed to have been lost.  Christian reconstructionists advocate for a theocratic government and libertarian economic principles. They maintain a distinction of spheres of authority between self, family, church, and state. 

Theonomists: Theonomy, from theos (god) and nomos (law), is a hypothetical Christian form of government in which society is ruled by divine law. Theonomists hold that divine law, particularly the judicial laws of the Old Testament, should be observed by modern societies.

Partial-Preterist: Partial preterism (often referred to as orthodox preterism or classical preterism) may hold that most eschatological prophecies, such as the destruction of Jerusalem, the Antichrist, the Great Tribulation, and the advent of the Day of the Lord as a "judgment-coming" of Christ, were fulfilled either in AD 70 or during the persecution of Christians under Emperor Nero.

Bibliography:

• Murray, Iain H. Puritan Hope. The Banner of Truth Trust, 1996. (ISBN: 085151247X)
• Kik, J. Marcellus. Eschatology of Victory. Nutley: Presbyterian &Reformed Publishing, 1974. (ISBN: 0875523137)
• Gentry Jr., Kenneth L. He Shall Have Dominion: An Eschatology of Victory. Institute for Christian Economics, 1992 (ISBN 0930464621)
• Boettner, Loraine. Millennium. Presbyterian Reformed Publishing Company, 1992. (ISBN: 0875521134)
• Mathison, Keith A. Postmillennialism: An Eschatology of Hope. Presbyterian &Reformed Publishing Company, 1999 (ISBN: 0875523897)
• Gentry Jr., Kenneth L. "Postmillennialism." Three Views of the Millennium and Beyond. Ed. Darrell L. Bock. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House,1999. (ISBN 0-310-20143-8)

Hermeneutics in Eschatology P3 - Historical premillennialists

Disclaimer: 

Remember my intention is not to promote one view over another, these posts are intended to prepare you for the discussion and to help you form your own position. 

Definition:

Historical premillennialists place the return of Christ just before the millennium and just after a time of great apostasy and tribulation. 

After the millennium, Satan will be loosed and Gog and Magog will rise against the kingdom of God; this will be immediately followed by the final judgment. 

While similar in some respects to the dispensational variety (in that they hold to Christ's return being previous the establishment of a thousand-year earthly reign), historical premillennialism differs in significant ways (notably in their method of interpreting Scripture).

Features and Distinctions:

• The favored method of interpretation is historical-grammatical. Premillennialism places a heavier emphasis on rigidly literal interpretations of key passages than either amillennialism or postmillennialism does.
  
  
• Israel and the church: Historic premillennialism proposes that the Church is the spiritual fulfillment of Israel in a manner that is very similar to amillennialism and postmillennialism.
  
  
• Kingdom of God: present through the Spirit since Pentecost - to be experienced by sight during the millennium after Christ's return.
  
  
• The Rapture: The saints, living and dead, shall meet the Lord in the clouds immediately preceding the millennial reign.
  
  
• The Millennium: Christ will return to institute a thousand-year reign on earth. The Millennium will see the re-establishment of temple worship and sacrifice as a remembrance of Christ's sacrifice.
  
  
• The Role of Satan: Satan is currently at work in the world, influencing affairs and deceiving the nations. At the return of Christ, Satan will be bound for the duration of the millennial age.
  
  
• Key Passages: This position shares many of the same key passages as amillennialism and postmillennialism. The distinction between the systems has to do with interpretations. 
  
  
• Major proponents: Irenaeus, Wayne Grudem, Robert Gundry, Eldon Ladd, Walter Martin, John Warwick Montgomery, and Theodore Zahn. 

Synopsis:

The historical premillennialist's view interprets some prophecy in Scripture as having literal fulfillment while others demand a semi-symbolic fulfillment. As a case in point, the seal judgments (Revelation 6) are viewed as having fulfillment in the forces in history (rather than in future powers) by which God works out his redemptive and judicial purposes leading up to the end.

Rather than the belief of an imminent return of Christ, it is held that a number of historical events (e.g., the rise of the Beast and the False Prophet) must take place before Christ's Second Coming. This Second Coming will be accompanied by the resurrection and rapture of the saints (1 Thessalonians 4:15-18); this will inaugurate the millennial reign of Christ. 

The Jewish nation, while being perfectly able to join the church in the belief of true faith in Christ, has no distinct redemptive plan as they would in the dispensational perspective. The duration of the millennial kingdom (Revelation 20:1-6) is unsure: literal or metaphorical.

Key Terms:

The historical-grammatical method is a modern Christian hermeneutical method that strives to discover the biblical author's original intended meaning in the text.

Bibliography:

• Ladd, George Eldon. A Commentary on the Revelation. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1972. (ISBN:0802816843)
• Ladd, George Eldon. The Last Things: An Eschatology for Laymen. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company,1982.
• Ladd, George Eldon. The Gospel of the Kingdom. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1959. (ISBN: 0802812805)
• Culver, Robert Duncan. Histories &Prophecies of Daniel. Winona Lake, Indiana: BHM Books, 1980. (ISBN: 0-88469-131-4)
• Campbell, Donald K. and Townsend, Jeffrey L. A Case for Premillennialism: A New Consensus. Chicago: The Moody Press, 1992.