The Gospel Trumps All

Posted on January 20, 2020 by

How Christians are to relate to their Government

By Erin Baumgaertel

In response to two articles about Christians and President Trump, I want to examine the church’s purpose and how that purpose informs the way Christians ought to act toward their Government.

First, we must read the Bible for ourselves and pray for wisdom for how to think and act on the subject. If we have formed our opinions solely on articles and insights from others, we very well could be left confused and polarized. Believers are to “test everything” (1 Thess. 5:21), and we need God’s truth to do so.

Continue reading →

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Romans 9-11 Overview at Thrive, Gig Harbor

Posted on August 17, 2019 by

Last week I had the privilege of speaking at Thrive, a young adults ministry in Gig Harbor. Michael, the director, asked me to introduce their next series in Romans with a 9 through 11 overview. Give it a listen, and if you’re in the area, consider giving to this cool ministry.

http://www.thriveharbor.com/romans/2019/8/15/20-romans-9-11-an-overview-david-baumgaertel

 

 

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The Bible Project on the Day of the Lord

Posted on November 11, 2017 by

There is a popular animated video series called, the Bible Project. It seeks to summarize the Bible and biblical theology in short, easy to understand episodes. I love this idea! This could be a fantastic way to introduce the Bible to people unfamiliar with it, or to help explain some of the more difficult passages and concepts. Until recently I had not watched many of the episodes, but then I noticed they did an episode on “The Day of the Lord.” Continue reading →

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An Incomplete List of Consequences of Misunderstanding the Kingdom of God

Possible consequences of misunderstanding the nature of the Kingdom of God:

  • The crusades
  • The Catholic priesthood
  • Calvin’s Geneva
  • A temptation toward anti-Semitism
  • A tendency to confuse law and grace
  • A tendency to confuse a Christian’s relationship to Sabbath days
  • A temptation to replace straightforward interpretation of scripture for allegory
  • Misapplying scriptures about Israel to the Church, or even America
  • Despair and discouragement in reaction to apostasy and counterfeit Christianity
  • Despair and discouragement at the world’s continued rejection of Christ
  • Forgetting or underappreciating the thriving gospel among the world’s individuals
  • Neglecting the gospel for the “social gospel” and the liberal political agenda
  • Neglecting the gospel for patriotism and the conservative political agenda
  • Neglecting the gospel for a comfortable life
  • Identifying the church with the state
  • Fighting the world’s battles
  • Practically forgetting the return of Christ

    related: The Application for Every Verse  The Kingdom – Part 1

Aside | Posted on January 24, 2017 by | Leave a comment

Does the Bible imply that you should be a vegan?

Posted on January 14, 2017 by

wolf-and-lamb-is-11The Washington post recently published an article saying that Christians should all be vegans. The author was inspired by a recent announcement from a prominent evangelical celebrity who claimed he is doing so for health reasons. The article says, good for him, but he should also do it because, “The Bible is clear… Animals are meant to be our companions, not our food.” Continue reading →

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The Kingdom – Part 3

Posted on January 13, 2017 by

This is the conclusion of a study of the Kingdom of Heaven by my friend Michael White. If you missed it, check out part 2.

By: Michael White

A Postponed Kingdom (Continued)

This brings us to the Third and final rejection mentioned before during the previous phase of the kingdom. We will spend some time on it now. This rejection of the Kingdom by Israel happens after the resurrection. Some may struggle with the concept that the Kingdom is still offered to Israel up until Acts chapter 8. To help…

Wiersbe cites 11 reasons that the kingdom was still the primary focus after the resurrection for the first eight chapters of Acts. Continue reading →

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The Kingdom – Part 2

Posted on January 5, 2017 by

A Postponed Kingdom

This is part 2 of a series written by Michael White on the Kingdom of Heaven. See Part 1.

kingdom-graphic-1

Jesus, in response to His rejection withdraws from the “house” of Israel and teaches “the crowds” in Matthew 13. He begins to teach in parables, saying “The Kingdom of Heaven is Like…” The disciples are astonished at this. Matthew 13:10 asking “Why do you speak to the people in parables.”  It is reasonable to understand their astonishment. John the Baptist had preached the message publicly in Matthew 3 and was astonished after he was thrown in prison even asking Jesus about his identity. Jesus himself had proclaimed it publicly in Matthew 4, and ultimately was astonished at Israel’s lack of faith Mark 6:1-6, Matthew 8:5-14. The Apostles had been told by The King Himself to proclaim the message publicly in Matthew 10 and been astonished at the Demons submission to this coming Kingdom. So after a very public proclamation “repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” and its accompanying miracles proving the validity of their message, they are now told that the message is to be concealed inside parables. Continue reading →

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