Posts tagged ‘history’

November 14, 2022

Reflections on The Holy Spirit


The Holy Spirit’s Pronouns


“Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you…
However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.” 
– John 16:7;13 [NKJV]


 

“The Paracletic Version” 

paracletic: (adj.) relating to a paraclete or Paraclete

A paraphrase of the Scriptures called ‘The Paracletic Version (TPV)’ might reasonably render the apostles’ epistolary greetings as follows:


[emphasis for reference only: The Father/The Son/The Holy Spririt]

Romans 1:1-7

The Holy Spirit through Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.

Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name, among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ.

To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.


Jonathan Edwards suggests that the Spirit is not usually mentioned by name in the standard apostolic greeting of “Grace to you…” because the Spirit – proceeding from the Father and the Son as the Nicene creed says – IS the grace…


1 Corinthians 1:2

The Holy Spirit to the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours; Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.


2 Corinthians 1:1

The Holy Spirit through Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God and Timothy our brother, to the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in all Achaia: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.


That the Holy Spirit spoke through the apostles is confirmed in 1 Corinthians 2:12-13: Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.


Galatians 1:1-3

The Holy Spirit through Paul, an apostle (not from men or through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead), and all the brethren who are with me, to the churches of Galatia: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

The apostles spoke from God. …knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:20-21); and not just prophecy – All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness… That the Holy Spirit is the divine author of all Scripture is Self-attested to by the following Scriptures:

Mark 12:36 – “For David himself said by the Holy Spirit: ‘The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool”‘.

1 Peter 1:12 – To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven – things which angels desire to look into.

Mark 12:36 – “For David himself said by the Holy Spirit: ‘The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool”‘.

Hebrews 10:15-16 – And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying, “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,”

To assure verbal precision, God, in communicating His revelation, must be verbally precise, and inspiration must extend to the very words. This does not mean that God dictated every word. Rather His Spirit so pervaded the mind of the human writer that he chose out of his own vocabulary and experience precisely those words, thoughts and expressions that conveyed God’s message with precision. In this sense the words of the human authors of Scripture can be viewed as the word of God. [LaSor, Hubbard, and Bush, Old Testament Survey, p.15]


Ephesians 1:1-2

The Holy Spirit through Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God , to the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ JesusGrace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.


Philippians 1:1-2

The Holy Spirit through Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus  who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.


Colossians 1:1-2

The Holy Spirit through Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colosse: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.


1 Thessalonians 1:1-2 / 2 Thessalonians 1:1-2

The Holy Spirit through Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus ChristGrace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.


The Holy Spirit likewise speaks through Paul in his letters to individuals: Timothy, Titus, Philemon – all three ministers having commission and work much the same as that of the apostles – to plant churches, and water the churches that were planted. Timothy was instructed how to discharge his duty as an evangelist at Ephesus, to perfect the good work which Paul had begun there. The Holy Spirit also spoke through Paul to Titus in much the same way, as Titus was also a convert of Paul and his companion in labors and sufferings. The epistle to Philemon is placed the last of those with the name of Paul to them, perhaps because the shortest, and of an argument peculiar and different from all the others; even so, it is such as the Spirit of God, who indited it, saw would, in its kind, be very instructive and useful in the churches.

The epistle to the Hebrews, regardless of its human authorship, with its lofty strains of rhetoric, and many things hard to understand, contains a sweetness which makes abundant amends for all the pains we take to understand it. Indeed, if we compare all the epistles of the New Testament, we shall not find any of them more replenished with divine, heavenly matter than that of the Holy Spirit to the Hebrews.


James 1:1

The Holy Spirit through James, a bondservant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad:

In this general epistle, the Spirit of wisdom puts forth many excellent and practical truths to exhort sincere and humble believers to patience under tribulations and oppression, to which He points the original hearers particularly, by minding them of near approaching judgment.


1 Peter 1 1:1-2

The Holy Spirit through Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus ChristGrace to you and peace be multiplied.


2 Peter 1 1:1-2

The Holy Spirit through Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus ChristGrace and peace be multiplied to you…

The “fiery trials” through which the early church was passing during the latter years of Nero’s reign leading up to the “end of all things” in 70AD were foretold by the Spirit of prophecy. The saints, then and now, are exhorted to faith, obedience, and patience, in view of the truth of the gospel and the certainty of salvation in Christ.


2 John 1:1 / 3 John 1:1

The Holy Spirit through The Elder…

There is no greeting inscribed, nor did John put his name to the first epistle of the Holy Spirit through him, which confirms the great fundamental doctrine of Christianity. In his second and third epistles the apostle is “the elder”, being also a bishop or overseer of all the Asiatic churches. In the second epistle the Spirit testifies to the value of Christian love and belief through John’s regard for and exhortation to a certain pious matron and her children. The third epistle of the Holy Spirit through John to “the well beloved Gaius”, supplies us with valuable criterion for Christian life and character.


Jude 1-2

The Holy Spirit through Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to those who are called, sanctified by God the Father and preserved in Jesus Christ: mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.

There can be no true mercy, peace, and love where there is not true Grace; and where Grace goes before, these will follow.


Revelation 1:4-5

The Holy Spirit through John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace  to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ.

The Divine blessing given in this greeting is in the name of God, of the Holy Trinity; it is of preeminent adoration. The Father is first named; He is described as the Yahweh who is, and who was, and who is to come, eternal, unchangeable. The Holy Spirit is referenced as the seven spirits, the perfect Spirit of God, in whom there is a diversity of perfect gifts and operations. The Lord Jesus Christ was from eternity, a Witness to all the counsels of God.

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” This expression occurs at the close of each of the epistles addressed to the seven churches in the book of Revelation (2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22) – the revelation of Jesus Christ to the apostle John. The Holy Spirit may be regarded either as speaking through the Savior, or as imparted to John, through whom He addressed the churches. In either case it is the same Spirit of inspiration.

As Christ, the Son, spoke not of Himself in opposition to the Father, so the Spirit speaks not of Himself in opposition either to the Father, or the Son, but in perfect agreement with both; being, as of the same nature and essence, power and glory, so of the same mind, understanding, and will; and as they agreed and wrought jointly and harmoniously in the works of creation and providence, so in the economy of grace and salvation… whatsoever the Spirit shall hear, that shall He speak; as Christ Himself did; and such as ear has not heard besides; secretly transacted in the council and covenant of peace, and agreed upon by all the three Persons; things which concern the salvation of men, the Gospel church state, another world, and the glory of all the divine Persons. [John Gill on John 16:13]

This Paracletic perspective of Scripture, especially in this new covenant age, also recognized as the age of the Holy Spirit, helps preserve our perception of the divine dignity of God the Spirit, who, in the words of the Nicene creed, is the Lord and giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets.

Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear His voice…” -Hebrews 3:7

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen. -2 Corinthians 13:14

May 29, 2022

8 ‘C’s of Divine History


  • Creation – all “very good”

  • Corruption – the fall

  • Catastrophe – the flood

  • Confusion – tower of Babel

  • InCarnation – encompasses our Lord’s birth, ministry, suffering, crucifixion, resurrection and ascension. The C in Incarnation is for Christ and all He accomplished as Immanuel.

  • New Covenant – in the blood of the Lamb of God — the once-for-all sacrifice, making the old covenant obsolete and leading to its conclusive termination by the destruction of the temple in 70 AD. During this present and final age our ascended Lord reigns from on High (Psalm 110:1-2) and through His Spirit indwelling His people – living stones in the new living temple, His body.

  • ViCtory – The triumph of the sovereign, enthroned Lord Jesus Christ and His church over all opponents in time and history is inevitable. “For the earth will be filled With the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.” (Habakkuk 2:14)

  • Consummation – “Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts and end to all rule and all authority and power For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death” (1 Corinthians 15:24-26); and “we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” (1 John 3:2)

[Hat tip: AiG’s Seven C’s]

~

May 28, 2022

Time, History and Eternity

The above graphic depicts an understanding of the phrases “this age” and “the age to come”, in their biblical/historical context. This understanding underlies the proper perception of our present situation, and affects our eschatological outlook. Satan is NOT “the god of this age” that we are in now. He was “the god of this age” when Paul wrote 2 Cor. 4:4; Gal. 1:4; Rom. 16:20, etc. Jesus crushed Satan’s head and bound him in the first century, cf. Matt. 12:29; Luke 10:18; Rev. 20:2; etc. Not to say that the evil one is not still active other than in wholesale deception of the nations the way he was before, but the Lord Jesus Christ is reigning now! cf. Ps. 2; Ps. 110; Dan. 7:13-14; 1Cor. 15:25; etc.

An “age” is a period of time. There is no other age that will follow the present age of Christ’s mediatorial reign (what the New Testament, written prior to the termination of the Old Covenant age with the destruction of the temple, refers to as “the age to come”). We are now in the final age of time and history, as the ascended Lord Jesus Christ reigns in majesty on high at the right hand of the Father. 

Premillennialists claim that there will be another age after Christ’s Second Coming, when He will reign upon the earth for 1,000 years prior to the final judgment, with a variety of flavors espousing a rebuilt temple, multiple mass physical resurrections, etc., etc. which is all patently unbiblical. An older version of postmillennialism taught that there will be a separate “golden age” in time and history after the present age and before the Second Coming; proponents of that view may have acquiesced to the lack of scriptural warrant for it.

Against “the age to come” as eternity

Ephesians 1:
17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age (aion) but also in that which is to come.* 22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. (NKJV)

*Note: the age “which is to come” in Ephesians 1 can hardly refer to eternity without conflicting with 1 Corinthians 15:

22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. 23 But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterwards those who are Christ’s at His coming. 24 Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. 27 For “He has put all things under His feet.” But when He says “all things are put under Him,” it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted.
*28Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.

The Ephesians passage presents the ages of time/history; the passage in 1 Corinthians presents the end: eternity. Jesus’ ascension took place in what were the last days of “this age” for the writers of the New Testament. In this final age now present (the “age to come” for the N.T. writers), Jesus is still reigning from on High and by His Spirit indwelling His people, living stones in a living temple, His body. He also rules over the nations with a rod of iron. This being the situation decreed for “not only in this age but also in that which is to come”, neither age can refer to the hereafter, as by contrast, in eternity, we shall eat and drink with Jesus Himself (cf. Matthew 26:29)! Our Forerunner will no longer be “far above”, having put an end to all rule and all authority and power; and we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is (1 John 3:2)! The position of Christ the head and his body/bride the church will, at the end (in the eternity of final glory), be manifestly changed from that of the here and now, the age of the church militant (referred to as “the age to come” in Ephesians 1).

Paul wrote in the last days of the old covenant age when the temple was still standing. The “age to come”, which was then at hand, is fully here now: the gospel age, the “millennium” of the mediatorial reign of King Jesus.

In those same last days of the old covenant age when the temple was still standing, shortly before He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; rose again from the dead; and ascended into heaven, Jesus said to the high priest: “I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.(Matt. 26:64) The hereafter our Lord foretold is the termination of the old covenant economy with the destruction of the temple in AD 70, the final end of that age, the outworking of AD 30 when Christ made the once-for-all sacrifice of Himself; which was also foretold by the angel Gabriel to the prophet Daniel:

“And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; and the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, and till the end of the war desolations are determined. Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation*, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate.” (Daniel 9:26-27)

*i.e. the consummation of the ages, the transition from the Jewish to the Christian: the mediatorial kingdom of the gospel age, the final age before the end, the millennial reign of the risen, ascended Lord Jesus Christ as written of in Ephesians 1.


[click image to enlarge]

May 27, 2022

HIStory, the Here & How, and the Hope of Heaven

Sometime around 1,992 years ago the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ ascended with the clouds of heaven up to the Ancient of Days (cf. Daniel 7:13). Having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, He left the glories of heaven and came to this sin-cursed earth, took on flesh and lived a sinless life — obedient to the Father unto death, even death on a cross. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Cor. 5:21).

What a miracle of love: God became a man! That part of the blessed work of redemption, as determined since before the foundation of the world by intraTrinitarian Covenant (pactum salutis) was accomplished in the fullness of time, in accordance with divine decree. Christ came forth, to faithfully perform the atonement for the sins of His people, as typified in the Old Testament, by perfect righteousness and substitutionary propitiation; as He proclaimed upon the cross, “it is finished.”

The third day thereafter He rose from the dead, and that calls for a never-ending chorus of hallelujahs. It behooves us to rejoice as we faithfully meditate upon the blessed historical truth of the Holy Spirit inspired Scriptures. Worthy is the Lamb of God Who was slain. All praise and glory to God Who is blessed forever, amen.

With the glorified God-Man reigning at the right hand of Majesty on High, the Holy Spirit, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, regenerates sinners to new life in Christ Jesus; comforts, counsels and empowers His people, and seals us for the day of redemption. How then should we live? Never forget that we’re now spiritually alive and well, with the Spirit Himself dwelling within us. Therefore, not only are you a part of His body which is a living temple, but also your body itself is a temple! Mindful of being thus set apart as Holy, we pray for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. We are no longer slaves to sin, but rather bond servants of Jesus Christ. Let us go forth, not on our own strength, but abiding in Him, obeying His commandments. This indeed is a most gracious gift from above. For the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).

In light of all this, zeal for God’s glory ought to burn within us, as the Holy Spirit quickens us and fans the flames within our souls! Indeed, man’s chief end is to glorify God, and how better to effectuate that purpose than to bring every thought, word and deed captive to Christ. His kingdom is advancing on earth, and we are the instruments. Inaugurated in the 1st century, the kingdom of heaven has expanded by the millions in Africa and Asia and throughout the world. The Christian foundation of the American experiment may be crumbling, but we must think globally and long term. Besides, we walk by faith and not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7).

So with our reigning Lord Jesus as the Head over all things, and us as the members of His body, the feet should be moving and the hands reaching out, the tongue speaking… we may not see it in our generation; even so, ours is not to sit back, wait, watch or complain about what Jesus is doing or not doing. We are what Jesus is doing!

After declaring “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” … the next word our Head says is “Go”… go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world(Matthew 28:18-20). Amen.

January 1, 2019

Is it Now the End Time of the American Idea?

Like the coming of the lawless one, Nero Caesar, in the 1st century A.D. when the Roman empire dominated old covenant Israel, deep state operatives and their army of haters in the world today proceed according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth… (cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12).
The patriots’ hope and prayer for the here & now is that the unfolding exposure of the entrenched leftocrat government swamp, the Godless, lying Democrat party and their corrupted media mouthpieces, will be the beginning of our nation’s purging of deep state wickedness, and a return to the Christian values upon which it was founded; that the gospel will shine forth and flourish in our time, and that those traitors who have criminally schemed to overthrow the president of these United States will be prosecuted, convicted and punished.

et al.

As Star Parker has observed, in 2020 America must decide whether to be biblical and free, or secular and statist. Will we go forward as one nation under God, embracing the ideals of our heritage as expressed in the Declaration of Independence, providing for limited government; that all men (and women) are created equal, endowed by their Creator with inalienable rights, including the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness? Or will we succumb to the nihilistic ideology that by big government decree purposes to kill defenseless babies in the womb (or even after birth!), and destroy the deeply held values such as the rule of law, the sanctity of life and marriage, the critical importance of the traditional family, personal responsibility and free enterprise for a prosperous economy, etc; etc. that have made this the most exceptional nation of this age?

Irrespective of the fate of our present generation, the long term, ultimate triumph of the ascended, enthroned, sovereign Lord Jesus Christ and His church over all opponents in time and history is inevitable. For He must reign til He has put all enemies under His feet (1 Corinthians 15:25). May our time be a time of new awakening to the Truth!

For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.
-Habakkuk 2:14

June 25, 2012

Best Laid Plans and Righteous Resources

In entering the blogosphere I am acutely aware of the Lord’s mighty hand on all things. Indeed He has brought about a confluence of circumstances leading me to establish this new blog, as I have become more and more zealous for the advancement of the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ in the here & now, and being on the “other side of the hill” so to speak, while living in a country that has regressed so far from the soundness and respectability of its founding documents which are based on biblical principles. The FaithFacts website has an excellent section on The Bible and Government which delineates this relationship. It is absolutely crucial that Christian Americans be aware of the revisionist bastardization of history that has been ubiquitously propagandized so as to impugn the motives of the earliest settlers of this nation who were Christian evangelicals! The postmodern “progressive” (actually regressive) agenda would have us forget that the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence acted on behalf of their posterity, “and for the support of this Declaration with a firm reliance on the protection of divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.” Beloved, though our weapons are not carnal, and we fight not against flesh & blood, the kingdom of our Lord encompasses every area of life and we must be similarly dedicated, faithful and prayerfully confident to prevail.

To that end let me heartily recommend some resources to start. As victims of public schooling, many of us have been taught many erroneous things about the European explorers of the new world (Christopher Columbus et. al.), as well as the “Indians”, the Pilgrims and the Puritans, etc. so as to denigrate our nation’s founding, even to the point that the chief executive of these United States has stated that we are “no longer a Christian nation”. Do a phrase search of the Bible for “all the nations” to see how the regressives are going the wrong way…  (not only this nation, but Yahweh told Abraham that “…in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed…” [Genesis 22:18]).

Which leads me to the first recommended resource: Berean Bible Study Freeware, aka BerBible, available here. Get the Free Bundle with ESV, NASB, KJV, and other Bibles (about 10 MB).

Secondly, there is a 4-sermon series recorded by Pastor Joe Morecraft III in mp3 format that comes on a CD for only $5 titled “Ideas Have Consequences”, available here. The promo says it all:  Watching the news or observing the American culture begs the question, “What went wrong?”.  We were founded as a Christian nation, fleeing persecution, and now we cannot pray in public or speak out against wicked behavior without being persecuted or even prosecuted.  Listen to these lectures filled with historical facts and presentations of attitudes of another era and you will understand “what went wrong”.

Thirdly, a book titled “The Light and the Glory” by Peter Marshall and David Manuel, subtitled “Did God Have a Plan for America?”. Here is the editorial review: For those of us who, like the authors, have been exposed mostly to the secular accounts of this period of American history, the information presented becomes a revelation of very great magnitude. … This book is important. I would that every professing Christian read Gods Holy Bible and this book. There are, of a surety, better and more comprehensive histories than this, but I would recommend none more highly to introduce the student to our Christian American roots as pertains to our beginnings on these shores. — Christian Forum Book Review. This book is available from amazon.com. Also let me take this opportunity to advise that many books are available in Kindle format at significantly lesser cost, and they can be viewed on any computer with the free Kindle reading app.

Lastly, a new friend of mine has recommended “Paradise Restored” by David Chilton, available as a PDF for free online here. Not having read it yet myself, but familiar with Chilton’s work (“Days of Vengeance”), and with the subtitle of “A Biblical Theology of Dominion”, I recommend “Paradise Restored” unhesitatingly. I also highly recommend my new friend Publius Huldah’s blog, accessible from the blogroll at the right or here… and I close with this as stated there (extrapolated from Galatians 3:28):

“There is no such thing as Jew & Greek, slave & freeman, male & female, black person & white person; for we are all one person in Christ Jesus.”

But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
To Him be glory both now and forever. Amen. (2 Peter 3:18)