Enjoying the Beauty of God's Creation: Birds

My family and I were blessed to take a vacation and spend some time with friends near Washington D.C. . They live on the Chesapeake Bay. While there I just had to take pictures of these beauties, which caused thoughts about our great God!

O LORD, how many are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all; the earth is full of Your possessions (Psalm 104: 24 ).

Enjoying the Beauty of God's Creation: Plant Life

I couldn't help myself, I just had to buy this beauty, which caused thoughts about our great God!

O LORD, how many are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all; the earth is full of Your possessions (Psalm 104: 24 ).

You Forgot Millard Erickson...

Yes, I forgot to add Millard Erickson. But, where does one stop? Millard Erickson's massive 1300 page Christian Theology was a standard text book in many SBC colleges and seminaries for years. In his section on last things, he closes the chapter with statments that identitfy his position. He states, "When all considerations are evaluated, there are several reasons why the posttribulational position emerges as the more proable. . ." and "the general tenor of biblical teaching fits better the posttribulational view." The last sentence of this chapter is, "But all in all, the preponderance of evidence favors posttribulationsim." (p.1224)

Millard Erickson, Ph.D.Distinguished Professor of Theology Ph.D. Northwestern University. Dr. Erickson is Distinguished Professor of Theology at Western Seminary, and the author of the widely acclaimed systematics work Christian Theology along with more than 20 other books. He was professor of theology and academic dean at Bethel Seminary for many years.
Presidential Fellow, Western, 1998-2001, Adjunct Professor, 2001-2004

On the Fringe?

One pastor told me in defense of his pretribulational view that, “Only those who are on the fringe hold to the posttrib view.” Lahaye, in his book, Rapture Under Attack, writes, “Dr. Walvoord, now in his eighties, has been a Bible scholar more than fifty years and personally knows most of the living scholars on this subject. He warns that, ‘It is not uncommon for scholars who defect from a pre-trib position in favor of the post-trib view to also defect in their doctrine of the inerrancy of Scripture.’ ” [1] Is this true? No. If it is, show the proof. One could respond with a statement that those who hold to the pretrib view do not take the Bible seriously. These types of statements are absurd and uncalled for and therefore must be rebutted.

The following list is not used in my case as an “appeal to authority.” However, the argument tries to discredit the posttribulational view by stating that there are only a few fringe believers who hold to such a theory. This is simply not true. Below is a list of those that hold to a posttribulation view. One should notice that these men are not on the fringe. They are all committed to the essential doctrines of the Christian faith and have given their lives to minister in Jesus’ name (some have departed to be with the Lord).

Wayne Grudem , B.A., Harvard University; M.Div. Westminster Theological Seminary; Ph.D., University of Cambridge. He is presently Research Professor of Theology and Bible Phoenix Seminary. He taught at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School for twenty years. He has written more than 60 articles for both popular and academic journals, and his books include: Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine, The Gift of Prophecy in the New Testament and Today, and The First Epistle of Peter (TNTC). He has also coedited Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood: A response to Evangelical Feminism and edited Are Miraculous Gifts for Today?: Four Views.[3]

In Grudem’s Systematic Theology he argues more for the posttribulational view than any other view (see pp. 1131-1135).

Robert H. Gundry, PH.D. New Testament Studies Manchester University, 1961. He has been professor of New Testament and Greek, Westmont College, from 1962 to the present. He is also Adjunct Professor of New Testament, Fuller Theological Seminary, 1993.

His works include: First the Antichrist, Mark: A Commentary on His Apology for the Cross, A Survey of the New Testament (used in many colleges and seminaries), Matthew: A Commentary on His Literary and Theological Art, The Church and the Tribulation. He has also authored numerous articles and book reviews on New Testament studies.[4]

George Eldon Ladd was an ordained Baptist minister. He is most widely remembered today as a respected theologian. His theological writings have continued to have a wide influence in Christendom. He was the Professor of New Testament exegesis and theology at Fuller Theological Seminary from 1950 onward. His earlier education was at Gordon College and Gordon Divinity School (B.D.). Ladd also earned the Ph.D. degree from Harvard University, and did postdoctoral study at both Basel and Heidelberg Universities. In his capacity as a Baptist minister, Dr. Ladd served numerous churches of his denomination. At Gordon College from1942 to 1945 he was Professor of Greek, and from 1946 to 1950 was head of the department of New Testament at Gordon Divinity School.[5]

Ladd’s works include: Introduction To The Book Of Revelation, Questions about the Kingdom of God, The Blessed Hope, The Gospel of the Kingdom, Jesus Christ and History, Jesus and the Kingdom, The Pattern of New Testament Truth, A Commentary On The Revelation Of John, A Theology of the New Testament, I Believe in the Resurrection of Jesus, The Last Things (An Eschatology For Laymen), The Presence of the Future and The Eschatology of Biblical Realism.

Harold Lindsell
The following biography is from Billy Graham Center-Archives: Papers of Harold Lindsell.
Harold Lindsell was born in New York City on December 22, 1913, to Leonard Anthony and Ella Briggs (Harris) Lindsell. He received his grammar school and secondary education in the New York City public school system. His three earned degrees were all in history: B.S., Wheaton College (summa cum laude), 1938; A.M., University of California, Berkeley, 1939; and Ph.D., New York University, 1942. Some of his graduate work was taken at Harvard University. He was awarded a Doctor of Divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary in 1964.

Raised in the Presbyterian Church, U.S.A., Lindsell became a Christian in 1925. Through his own study, he concluded that his personal beliefs were more in keeping with the Baptist tradition, and he was ordained to the pastorate by the First Baptist Church (Southern Baptist Convention), Columbia, S.C., in 1944. While he never actively served as a pastor to any one congregation, he frequently preached at worship services of many denominations.
In 1942, Lindsell became a professor of church history and missions at Columbia Bible College, Columbia, S.C., where he also served as registrar. In 1944 he moved to Chicago to take a similar position at Northern Baptist Theological Seminary. From 1947 to 1964, Lindsell taught at Fuller Theological Seminary, where he was a professor of missions, Dean of the Faculty, and Vice President. He left Fuller to become the Associate Editor of Christianity Today, a position he held from 1964 to 1967. He was a professor of Bible at Wheaton College, 1967-68, and returned to Christianity Today as Editor from 1968 until his retirement in 1978.

Lindsell served as director of the Baptist Faith and Message Fellowship, Inc., and was a member of several professional organizations, including the American Historical Association, American Society of Church History, American Academy of Political and Social Sciences, National Association of Evangelicals, and the Evangelical Theological Society. He was a trustee for Wheaton College, Westmont College, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, Luther Rice Seminary, and Outreach, Inc. He was a friend and advisor of Billy Graham's from almost the start of the latter's ministry.

His first book, a novel, Abundantly Above, was published in 1944. The years that followed saw the publication of nearly twenty books which he either authored, co-authored or edited. Included, among others, were A Christian Philosophy of Missions (1949, revised 1970); Park Street Prophet, a biography of Harold John Ockenga (1951); Missionary Principles and Practice (1955); Harper Study Bible (1963); Christianity and the Cults (1963); The World, the Flesh and the Devil (1973); The Battle for the Bible (1976) and its sequel The Bible in the Balance (1979); The Gathering Storm, concerning the second coming of Christ (1981); the Lindsell Study Bible (1981); Free Enterprise: A Judeo-Christian Defense (1982); The Holy Spirit in the Later Days (1983); and The New Paganism (1987). His book The Battle for the Bible, in which he defended Scriptural inerrancy against evangelicals whom he claimed were turning from a literal interpretation of the Bible, sparked considerable controversy in the evangelical community, and it was partially from this controversy that the sequel was written. Lindsell also authored numerous magazine and journal articles.[6]

Lindsell’s candor is of the spirit that I am most comfortable with as he states, “I personally would like very much to hold to pretribulationism with dogmatic certainty. But the data, in my opinion, seems to lean more in the direction of the posttribulation position.”[7]

Lindsell believed in the inerrancy of Scripture and held to the posttribulational view because of the weight of the Biblical data.

Leon Morris taught at Ridley College, Melbourne, Australia, for twenty-nine years, retiring as principal in 1979. He is a prolific writer, with more than twenty-five books to his credit. His works include The Apostolic Preaching of the Cross (1955), The Gospel According to John (The New International Commentary on the New Testament, 1971), and Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew (1993). One only needs to read his comments on the following verses 1 Thess. 4:13-18; 5:1-11; 2 Thess. 1:6-10; and 2:3-12 in his commentary of 1 & 2 Thessalonians to see that he does not hold to the pretrib position.

Douglas J. Moo (St. Andrews Ph.D.) is Assistant Professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He is a member of the Evangelical Theological Society, the Institute for Biblical Research, the Chicago Society for Biblical Research, and the Society of Biblical Literature.

He is the author of the following commentaries: The Epistle of James (Tyndale New Testament Commentary), Romans 1-8 (Wycliffe Exegetical Commentary), A Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans (New International Commentary on the New Testament), 2 Peter, Jude (NIV Application Commentary), The Epistle of James (Pillar Commentary), Romans (NIV Application Commentary).[8]

Moo defends the posttribulation view in the book, Three Views of the Rapture: Pre; Mid; Or Post-Tribulation (co-author with R. Reiter, G. Archer, and P. Feinberg). Other scholars defend their own position in this book.

From the Publisher: Three Trinity Evangelical Divinity School professors present their premillennnialist views on when the rapture will occur - before, during, or after the tribulation. Paul D. Feinberg argues the pre-tribulation position. Gleason L. Archer presents the mid-tribulation position. Douglas J. Moo holds the post-tribulation view. Richard Reiter gives a historical overview.

John Piper[9] has been senior pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota since 1980. He holds degrees from Wheaton College (B. A.), Fuller Seminary (B. D.), and the University of Munich (Dr. Theol). He is a nationally recognized speaker and writer, and is author of over a dozen books, including Desiring God, Future Grace, The Pleasures of God, Let the Nations Be Glad!, Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ, The Dangerous Duty of Delight, A Godward Life, A Hunger for God, The Innkeeper, The Legacy of Sovereign Joy, The Hidden Smile of God, The Justification of God, The Supremacy of God in Preaching and was a contributor and co-editor of Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood.

The following is an excerpt from John Piper’s sermon on 2 Thess. 2:1-12 that he preached August 30, l987.

Tonight I hope to take this issue up in more detail. But for now let me just show you one of several arguments from 2 Thessalonians why I cannot follow this interpretation as much as I love and respect those who do. Why am I a post-tribulationist, that is, why do I look forward with great anticipation not to a sudden departure from the world for seven years but to a great gathering to meet the Lord in the air as he comes with his mighty angels in flaming fire to establish his earthly kingdom, giving rest to his people and judgment to his enemies?[10]

Piper closes his sermon with these words, “My own conviction is that I would dishonor the word of God and do you a great disservice if I did not equip you as best I can from this text to recognize the man of lawlessness should he appear in your life-time.”[11]

[1] Lahaye, Rapture Under Attack, 12-13.

[3] Http://www.phoenixseminary.edu/_faculty/WayneG.htm
[4]Gundry’s full biography is available at: http://www.westmont.edu/
[5]From a tribute to Dr. George Eldon Ladd by Rev. Robert C. Gillette ( revgillette@aol.com ) available: http://members.tripod.com/~network7/Ladd.html [used with permission].
[6]Billy Graham Center-Archives: Papers of Harold Lindsell [on-line] ; accessed April 2003; available from http://www.wheaton.edu/bgc/archives/GUIDES/192.htm

[7] Harold Lindsell, The Gathering Storm: World Events & the Return of Christ (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1981 - 4th printing).
[8]Moo’s biography can be read online; accessed April 2003; available from http://www.wheaton.edu/Theology/Moo/publications.htm
[9] A friend asked my wife if I held to the posttribulation rapture because it was John Piper’s view. Honestly I had no idea what view Piper held and thought maybe that he had never touched on the topic at all. I checked out Piper’s sermons from the search engine at www.desiringgod.org and discovered that he was holding to the posttribulational view.
[10] Desiring God Ministries [on-line] ; accessed April 2003; available from http://www.soundofgrace.com/piper87/jp870033.htm
[11]Ibid

Believers Are Found Throughout the Entire Tribulation

Below are the following verses that describe believers during the tribulation.
Rev. 7:9-17. Verse 14, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb."

Rev. 12:9-17. The context is that Satan will persecute the believers. Verse 11 says, "And they overcame him because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death." Verse17 says that Satan will make war with those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.

Rev. 13 speaks of the Antichrist making war with the saints. Nonbelievers will worship him, that is, everyone whose name has not been written in the book of life of the Lamb (v.8).

Rev. 14:9-13 states that those who take the mark and worships the beast (Antichrist) will drink of God's wrath. Verse 12, "Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus." Verse 13, "And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, 'Write, Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!"

The description of believers found in the tribulation period shows that church is found throughout the tribulation, because they have the same salvation of present believers. The salvation of those who live during the tribulation period is the same as present day believers: they are blood bought (Rev.7:14; 12:11); they have faith in Jesus (Rev.14:12) and they said to "die in the Lord" (Rev. 14:13). Acts 20:28 is very clear concerning those who belong to the blood bought church, “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.”

The pretribulational view says that the word “Church” is not mentioned in Revelation 4:1-19:1; therefore the “Church” is gone. Douglas Moo says, “In 22:16, Jesus claims that He has sent His angel “to give you (plural!) this testimony for the churches.” It is difficult to see how the chapters on the Tribulation could be a “testimony for the churches” if they are not involved in it.”[1] He also makes a valid point that, “it simply appears improbable that the event described at greatest length in Revelation (the Tribulation) would have no direct relevance for those to whom the book is addressed.”[2] The word “Church” does not have to be mentioned to maintain a belief that the Church is still on earth. Believers make up the Church. Posttribulationists could dismiss this argument by stating that it is an argument from silence. With the same reasoning we could say that the word "Church" is not mentioned in all of the passages dealing with believers in heaven during the tribulation. The word "Church" is not mentioned in Mark, Luke, John, 2 Timothy, Titus, 2 Peter, 1 and 2 John, and Jude. Do we now conclude that these letters are not about or concerning the Church?[3] No. There are equivalent terms that are synonymous with the term church. Douglas Moo has said that the Apostle John never uses the word “church” as referring to the universal body, but uses it in describing local churches (Rev 1-3).[4]

The most common word that we use today for believers in Jesus Christ is the word “Christian.” In the New Testament the word Christian is only used three times.

Christian
• Acts 11:26 and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And for an entire year they met with the church and taught considerable numbers; and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.
• Acts 26:28 Agrippa {replied} to Paul, "In a short time you will persuade me to become a Christian."
• 1 Pet 4:16 but if {anyone suffers} as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name.

The word “saint(s)” is the word that is used most often in the New Testament just as we use the word “Christian” to describe a believer of today.

The following are the NT references for “saints:
harm he did to Your saints at Jerusalem; Acts 9:13
also to the saints who lived at Lydda. Acts 9:32
and calling the saints and widows, he Acts 9:41
lock up many of the saints in prisons, Acts 26:10
of God in Rome, called as saints: Rom 1:7
because He intercedes for the saints Rom 8:27
to the needs of the saints, Rom 12:13
going to Jerusalem serving the saints. Rom 15:25
the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. Rom 15:26
may prove acceptable to the saints; Rom 15:31
Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, Rom 16:2
and all the saints who are with them. Rom 16:15
in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, 1 Cor 1:2
unrighteous and not before the saints? 1 Cor 6:1
that the saints will judge the world? 1 Cor 6:2
as in all the churches of the saints. 1 Cor 14:33
the collection for the saints, 1 Cor 16:1
themselves for ministry to the saints), 1 Cor 16:15
the saints who are throughout Achaia: 2 Cor 1:1
in the support of the saints, 2 Cor 8:4
you about this ministry to the saints; 2 Cor 9:1
supplying the needs of the saints, 2 Cor 9:12
All the saints greet you. 2 Cor 13:13
*God, To the saints who are at Ephesus Eph 1:1
you and your love for all the saints, Eph 1:15
glory of His inheritance in the saints, Eph 1:18
are fellow citizens with the saints, Eph 2:19
To me, the very least of all saints, Eph 3:8
be able to comprehend with all the saints Eph 3:18
the equipping of the saints for the work Eph 4:12
among you, as is proper among saints; Eph 5:3
and petition for all the saints, Eph 6:18
*To all the saints in Christ Jesus who Php 1:1
All the saints greet you, especially Php 4:22
*To the saints and faithful brethren in Col 1:2
love which you have for all the saints; Col 1:4
the inheritance of the saints in Light. Col 1:12
has now been manifested to His saints, Col 1:26
of our Lord Jesus with all His saints. 1 Th 3:13
*be glorified in His saints on that day, 2 Th 1:10
Lord Jesus and toward all the saints; Phm 1:5
hearts of the saints have been refreshed Phm 1:7
and in still ministering to the saints. Heb 6:10
all of your leaders and all the saints. Heb 13:24
once for all handed down to the saints. Jude 1:3
which are the prayers of the saints. Rv 5:8
add it to the prayers of all the saints Rv 8:3
with the prayers of the saints, Rv 8:4
and the saints and those who fear Rv 11:18
with the saints and to overcome them, Rv 13:7
and the faith of the saints. Rv 13:10
*Here is the perseverance of the saints Rv 14:12
who keep the commandments of God
and their faith in Jesus
they poured out the blood of saints and Rv 16:6
drunk with the blood of the saints, Rv 17:6
you saints and apostles and prophets, Rv 18:20
found the blood of prophets and of saints Rv 18:24
*is the righteous acts of the saints. Rv 19:8
of the saints and the beloved city, Rv 20:9[5]

There are times when Paul addressed local believers as the “church” (assembly) at a specific location as with his letters to the Corinthians and Thessalonians. Notice in 2 Cor. 1:1 that the “church of God” which is at Corinth is equated with “the saints who are throughout Achaia.”
1 Cor. 1:1-2 Paul, called as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, 2 To the church [assembly] of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours:
1 Cor. 14:33 for God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches [assemblies] of the saints.
2 Cor. 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the church [assembly] of God which is at Corinth with all the saints who are throughout Achaia:
1 Thess. 1:1 Paul and Silvanus and Timothy, to the church [assembly] of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.

Now notice how Paul begins his letters to the believers at Ephesus and Philippi. He addresses them simply as saints at a specific location.
Eph. 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus.
Phil. 1:1 Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons. . .:

What reason is there to claim that “tribulation saints” are not a part of the “Church”? What is the definition for the Church? Do not saints make up the Church? Here are a few definitions for the nature of the Church:

The Greek word for church is ekklesia. This word is used 115 times in the New Testament, mostly in the Book of Acts and the writings of the apostle Paul and the general epistles. At least 92 times this word refers to a local congregation. The other references are to the church general, or all believers everywhere for all ages.

When the church general is implied, “church” refers to all who follow Christ, without respect to locality or time. The most general reference to the church occurs in
Ephesians 1:22; 3:10–21; 5:23–32. Since the church general refers to all believers of all ages, it will not be complete until after the judgment; and the assembly of all the redeemed in one place will become a reality only after the return of Christ (Heb. 12:23; Rev. 21–22).[6]

The real Church consists of all who belong to the Lord Jesus Christ as his disciples, and are one in love, in character, in hope, in Christ as the head of all, though as the body of Christ it consists of many parts.[7]

Once again, if you hold to the pretribulational view, do you believe that tribulational saints will suffer divine wrath? If you believe that the saints will suffer God’s wrath, then explain how a saved person can suffer divine wrath when Christ has suffered in that person’s stead (John 3:16, 36; Rom. 5:9-11)? How does a pretribulationists explain that the saints in the tribulation have faith in Jesus but they are not a part of the Church? All saints make up the Church universal.

[1] G. L. Archer Jr., Paul D. Feinburg, Douglas J. Moo and Richard R. Reiter, Three Views on the Rapture: Pre-, Mid-, or Post-Tribulation? (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1984), 203.
[2] Ibid., 203.
[3] Gundry and other Postribulationalist point this out.
[4] Moo, 201.
[5]Thomas, Robert L., Th.D., General Editor, New American Standard Updated Edition Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, (Anaheim, CA: Foundation Publications, 1999, c1998), in The New American Standard Electronic Bible Library [CD-ROM] (La Habra, CA: Lockman Foundation, 1999).
[6]Youngblood, Ronald F., General Editor; F.F. Bruce and R.K. Harrison, Consulting Editors, Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary, (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1995) ), in The New American Standard Electronic Bible Library [CD-ROM] (La Habra, CA: Lockman Foundation, 1999).
[7]William Smith; revised and edited by F.N. and M.A. Peloubet, Smith’s Bible Dictionary [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1997).

Should we feel guilty for having a Memorial Day?

Memorial Day is when we remember those who died in service to our country. Yet there has been debates for centuries over the issue of how Christians should view war.

There are churches in Iowa called "Church of the Brethren." In their documents they take a non-volence (no war) view.
Action of the 1991 Annual Conference: The report from the General Board study committee on PEACEMAKING" THE CALLING OF GOD'S PEOPLE IN HISTORY [ http://www.brethren.org/ac/ac_statements/91Peacemaking.htm ] In this document they make bold statements like:

Finally, in 1935, the church declared that "All war is sin," a statement which was conveyed to President Roosevelt and Secretary of State Cordell Hull as war clouds gathered in Europe.

How can they state that all war is sin (when they are a "Christian group")?

From a biblical view we can't say that all war is sin. Check out the following:

• Exodus 15:1 Then Moses and the sons of Israel sang this song to the LORD, and said, "I will sing to the LORD, for He is highly exalted; The horse and its rider He has hurled into the sea.
  2 "The LORD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation; This is my God, and I will praise Him; My father's God, and I will extol Him.
  3 "The LORD is a warrior; The LORD is His name.
  4 "Pharaoh's chariots and his army He has cast into the sea; And the choicest of his officers are drowned in the Red Sea.


• Exodus 17:8-9 Then Amalek came and fought against Israel at Rephidim. 9 So Moses said to Joshua, "Choose men for us and go out, fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will station myself on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.


• Deuteronomy 1:29-30 29 "Then I said to you, 'Do not be shocked, nor fear them. 30 'The LORD your God who goes before you will Himself fight on your behalf, just as He did for you in Egypt before your eyes . . .


• Numbers 1:45 45 So all the numbered men of the sons of Israel by their fathers' households, from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war in Israel,


• Numbers 31:3 3 Moses spoke to the people, saying, "Arm men from among you for the war, that they may go against Midian to execute the LORD'S vengeance on Midian.


• There were defensive wars in ancient Israel (2 Samuel 5:17-25; I Chronicles 18:1; 2 Samuel 21:15-22).
  2 Sam 5:17 When the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to seek out David; and when David heard of it, he went down to the stronghold.
  19 Then David inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You give them into my hand?" And the LORD said to David, "Go up, for I will certainly give the Philistines into your hand."
  25 Then David did so, just as the LORD had commanded him, and struck down the Philistines from Geba as far as Gezer.
  
  Questions to think about:


• Was it right to stop Japan from killing our American citizens in Hawaii? Yes.


• Was it a just cause to stop Hitler with military might? Yes.


• North Korea invaded South Korea with military force on June 25, 1950.
  Was the Korean War (1950–1953) a just war? Yes.
  *A "just war" can be one’s love for their neighbor.


• Pacifism could result in even more harm to the world because it would give wicked people free reign.


• If Hitler and his war machine had not been challenged militarily, many more would have died under their oppressive rule.

Dennis Prager had a good article called, Blue America: The land of the easily offended, in which he said:

To cite but one of many examples, take the widely held liberal slogan "War is not the answer." It is pure irrationality. War has ended more evil than anything the left has ever thought of. In the last 60 years alone, it ended Nazism and the Holocaust; it saved half of Korea from genocide; it kept Israel from national extinction and a second Holocaust; it saved Finland from becoming a Stalinist totalitarian state; and according to most of the people who put "War is not the answer" stickers on their bumpers, it saved Bosnian Muslims from ethnic cleansing.

Read the article here:

http://www.jewishworldreview.com/1204/prager120704.asp

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=41800

• Here are some other articles to check out:

THE CHRISTIAN AND WAR, William D. Barrick, Professor of Old Testament at The Master’s Seminary http://www.tms.edu/tmsj/tmsj11k.pdf

The Paradox of War and Pacifism, by Mark T. Clark, Ph.D., past chair of the political science department at California State University, San Bernardino and former faculty member of the University of Southern California, served as a consultant to the U.S. government on National Security Affairs at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. He has also been a Visiting Scholar at the Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace. Clark served in the U.S. Marine Corps, 1973-1977. http://www.leaderu.com/socialsciences/clark.html

If you are looking for a good book on ethics, check out John S. and Paul D. Feinberg's, Ethics for a Brave New World (Wheaton: Crossway, 1993). The chapter, "The Christian and War" is really good (pp. 345-382).

Even though Memorial Day is to honor those who died in military service to our country, I want to say thank you to the men and women of our church that have served in the military.

I am thankful to have men in our church that fought during WWII in the thick of the battle to stop Hitler's evil genocidal machine.

I am thankful to have a man in our church that lived in a foxhole in South Korea to help keep the aggressor of North Korea from taking over.

Weigh the Evidence

Living by the principle that I want all of my theological and ethical beliefs to be based on Scripture has challenged me to change some of my views. I came to a posttribulational view after preaching through 1 Thessalonians. At that time I was confronted with the question of why I had always believed in the pretribulational rapture view and one by one my previous view was changed by examining Scripture.

Always reforming to Scripture is not always an easy road to travel. However, if our conscience is captive to the Word of God we must look at the issues at hand and be convinced by the evidence of Scripture. I am aware that those that hold to the Pre-trib view say that they have weighed the evidence. The Assembly of God has a positional paper on the rapture which states, “The weight of Scripture supports a pre-Tribulation Rapture.” [ See the second to the last paragraph http://www.ag.org/top/Beliefs/Position_Papers/pp_4182_rapture.cfm ]

The General Association of Regular Baptist also have the Pre-trib view as a part of their doctrinal statement. Here is their statement of faith on this issue:

XIX. Rapture and Subsequent EventsWe believe in the premillennial return of Christ, an event which can occur at any moment, and that at that moment the dead
in Christ shall be raised in glorified bodies, and the living in Christ shall be given glorified bodies without tasting death, and all shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air before the seven years of the Tribulation. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:42-44, 51-54; Philippians 3:20, 21; Revelation 3:10.

We believe that the Tribulation, which follows the Rapture of the Church, will be culminated by the revelation of Christ in power and great glory to sit upon the throne of David and to establish the millennial kingdom. Daniel 9:25-27; Matthew 24:29-31; Luke 1:30-33; Isaiah 9:6, 7; 11:1-9; Acts 2:29, 30; Revelation 20:1-4, 6. [ http://www.garbc.org/news/?page_id=31 ]

Weigh the evidence from both views as you examine the Scriptures. I don’t think this issue is one to divide over. It is one of those biblical topics that good Christians can disagree upon respectfully. I have good friends that hold to the Pre-trib view and it is not an issue that affects our fellowship.

Yet, if I was a pastor in a church denomination that had a Pre-trib only stance in their doctrinal statement I would have to respectfully remove myself from pastoring that church. I can not sign on to something I don’t believe Scripture teaches.

The timing of the rapture is not an issue to divide over in our church. You can find persons on both sides. Thankfully our statement of faith does not make the timing of the rapture a doctrinal point to divide over. It is listed below:

BAPTIST FAITH AND MESSAGE 2000 ( http://www.sbc.net/bfm/bfm2000.asp )

X. Last Things

God, in His own time and in His own way, will bring the world to its appropriate end. According to His promise, Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in glory to the earth; the dead will be raised; and Christ will judge all men in righteousness. The unrighteous will be consigned to Hell, the place of everlasting punishment. The righteous in their resurrected and glorified bodies will receive their reward and will dwell forever in Heaven with the Lord.

Isaiah 2:4; 11:9; Matthew 16:27; 18:8-9; 19:28; 24:27,30,36,44; 25:31-46; 26:64; Mark 8:38; 9:43-48; Luke 12:40,48; 16:19-26; 17:22-37; 21:27-28; John 14:1-3; Acts 1:11; 17:31; Romans 14:10; 1 Corinthians 4:5; 15:24-28,35-58; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Philippians 3:20-21; Colossians 1:5; 3:4; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18; 5:1ff.; 2 Thessalonians 1:7ff.; 2; 1 Timothy 6:14; 2 Timothy 4:1,8; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 9:27-28; James 5:8; 2 Peter 3:7ff.; 1 John 2:28; 3:2; Jude 14; Revelation 1:18; 3:11;
20:1-22:13.