Can Satan Perform Miracles?

Can Satan Perform Miracles?

It’s distressing to read posts and comments on Facebook about the power of Satan. When I question this preoccupation, I was told I didn’t believe the Bible. “What about the magicians in Pharaoh’s court? They produced bloody water and frogs.” Haven’t these people ever watched Penn and Teller? I’m no magician, but I can make a card float inches from you. I’m doing it here: It’s a trick. I’m using de [...]

The SPLC 2024 “Hate List” is Out and You’re Probably on It

The SPLC 2024 “Hate List” is Out and You’re Probably on It

The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) is at it again. The left-wing propaganda outlet has published its annual “Year in Hate and Extremism” report, which is aimed mostly at smearing conservatives as ruthless bigots seeking to oppress marginalized communities. This report, released on June 5, highlights the addition of even more right-leaning organizations on its “Hate Map,” including Gays Against [...]

The Political Finger in the Dike

The Political Finger in the Dike

Can the gospel and social activism co-exist? Should Christians involve themselves in the world by participating in politics, pursue advanced degrees in education, medicine, science and law, produce films on a wide range of subjects, some even for entertainment value, seek a career in journalism, and develop non-governmental programs for long-term social reform based on a well thought out biblical [...]

Pinning the Tail on the Antichrists!

Pinning the Tail on the Antichrists!

I saw the following on Facebook: The “Anti-Christ,” Obama? or Macron? Both posted as Possibilities on an Eschatology group recently. Let’s look at what is plainly written on this. The post includes Scripture passages about what the Bible supposedly says about a future end-time antichrist. One would think that any discussion about who the antichrists were would consult the Scripture passages that a [...]

The Self-Refuting Assumptions of Atheism

The Self-Refuting Assumptions of Atheism

After doing a little shopping, my wife and I stopped to take in a late lunch. With the bill, we each received a fortune cookie. My “fortune” read, “When in doubt, follow you heart.” I read it out loud to my wife and quickly added “Adolf Hitler.” She had a good laugh since I’m always pointing out apologetic verities that Christians can use in debates. It was sadly funny. Given the operating assumpt [...]

Remembering Archie P. Jones (1942-2024)

Remembering Archie P. Jones (1942-2024)

The following is from a presentation I gave at the memorial service for Archie Preston Jones (1942-2024) that was held at Midway Presbyterian Church in Powder Springs, Georgia, where my wife and I attend and where Archie and his daughter are members. You can read Archie’s obituary here. _________________________ Archie, actually Dr. Archie Jones, and I were in the same line of work. We liked to ex [...]

Newspaper Exegesis, the Antichrist, and Perpetual Prophecy Fear

Newspaper Exegesis, the Antichrist, and Perpetual Prophecy Fear

What is newspaper exegesis? The practice of interpreting the Bible though the lens of current events found in the headlines of newspapers rather than allowing the Bible to interpret itself and failing to take into account when prophetic events were to take place and to whom. It’s a form of retroactive prophetic explanation where current events are used as an interpretive grid for understanding the [...]

Argument by “Truce” Has Been a Disaster

Argument by “Truce” Has Been a Disaster

Some recent news stories caught my attention. The first is about Michael Cassidy, a conservative Christian and former Navy pilot who tore down a Satanic altar in the Iowa State Capitol during Christmas in 2023. There was also a Nativity scene. He was originally charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief. Tearing down the Satanism display was later designated a hate crime. The next news story is [...]

Matthew 24:21: Future or Past Great Tribulation?

Matthew 24:21: Future or Past Great Tribulation?

As usual, prophecy wars are being waged on Facebook. There’s so much bad eschatology that it’s impossible to keep up. There are debates over “the rapture”—is it, pre-trib or post-trib? Neither, and neither is it mid-trib or pre-wrath. There is no basis for any rapture position. In most cases, I point this out and move on. The rapture doctrine is a concoction of verses ripped from their original co [...]

The Real Minimum Wage Is Actually Zero

The Real Minimum Wage Is Actually Zero

California just implemented a law to force many businesses to pay employees $20 per hour. First, like so much of government regulation, this is theft. Only governments (and the mafia) can force people to pay more money for work they don’t do. Second, it’s a job killer for young people trying to get work experience. If you listen to Democrats, most Americans are working at jobs for minimum wage pay [...]

How Much ‘Influence’ Did R.J. Rushdoony Have?

How Much ‘Influence’ Did R.J. Rushdoony Have?

In my three-part podcast (see here and here for the first and second) about the impact of Rousas Rushdoony (1916-2001), I mentioned, contrary to some, that his writings have had a significant impact on much of Christian thought today, directly and indirectly. As a sort of hero of Christian education, Rushdoony’s basic ideas have directly or indirectly affected many conservative Protestants in Nort [...]

About to Judge the Living and the Dead

About to Judge the Living and the Dead

In 2 Timothy 4:1, the Apostle Paul picks up the theme of judging the living and the dead: “I solemnly exhort you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is [about] to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom.” The Greek has “about to judge” (μέλλοντος κρίνειν/mellontos krinein). This reads a lot like what is found in Matthew 16:27-28, Acts 17:31, and Psalm 96:13. [...]

Preterism and Biblical Moral Law

Preterism and Biblical Moral Law

The following is from Episode 16 of the second volume of The Hope of Israel and the Nations with Kim Burgess and me. Discussions regarding God’s law and its application in the here and now has a long history. Preterism did not stop the applicability of God’s Word in AD 70. It’s all about redemption accomplished and applied. Before preterism became a hot topic, biblical law was a subject of discuss [...]

Iran is Not the Persian Empire: Gog and Magog Center-Stage … Again

Iran is Not the Persian Empire: Gog and Magog Center-Stage … Again

One of the advantages of being operated on April 15th was that I was under anesthesia and could not hear or read anything about the latest prophetic nonsense being churned out by end-time prophecy teachers and preachers. What a relief! Unfortunately, it didn’t last long. The usual suspects like John Hagee, Ray Comfort, Jack Hibbs, Joel Richardson, Joel Rosenberg, and many more are revving up the p [...]

My Response to Michael Brown’s Response

My Response to Michael Brown’s Response

Dr. Michael Brown and I debated the topic of Replacement Theology about five years ago. He agreed with my argument that the church/ekklēsia is not a new concept in the New Testament. The use of the Greek word ekklēsia, unfortunately translated “church” instead of “assembly” or “congregation,” was not a new word in the New Testament. It was common in the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testamen [...]

Dealing with the ‘Don’t Know Much About History’ Crowd

Dealing with the ‘Don’t Know Much About History’ Crowd

Every time American Vision promotes the 1864 book The Christian Life and Character of the Civil Institutions of the United States on Facebook, the historical know-it-alls come out of the woodwork. They spew the typical cliches. • The United States was founded as a secular nation. • Our nation’s founders were deists, and they used deistic language instead of biblical language. Long before 1776 and [...]

Now that the Eclipse Craziness is Over (Until 2044)…

Now that the Eclipse Craziness is Over (Until 2044)…

It’s been embarrassing reading and listening to Christians who pushed the belief that the April 8, 2024, solar eclipse was an end-time event sign. Why do so many Christians fall for these types of end-time hoaxes? I first saw it in 1973 with Hal Lindsey’s mega-bestseller The Late Great Planet Earth. Long before Lindsey, prophetic speculation was rampant, and it’s no less true today. It’s all over [...]

Should This Professor Be Teaching the New Testament?

Should This Professor Be Teaching the New Testament?

Bart Ehrman, a New Testament scholar at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has a bone to pick with Jesus and Bible prophecy. He has written on the topic of Jesus and prophecy in Jesus: Apocalyptic Prophet of the New Millennium (1999), Misquoting Jesus:The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why (2005),and his most recent book Armageddon: What the Bible Really Says About the End (2 [...]

The Hoax of Replacement Theology

The Hoax of Replacement Theology

In an earlier article, I mentioned Jack Hibbs and his claim that “replacement Theology” is the theory that the Christian Church has replaced Israel as the people that God no longer has a prophetic plan for Israel. He said the following: “Friends, that’s false doctrine. Any ministry, any pastor, any group that says ‘Israel as a nation and the Jew doesn’t matter,’ that is a doctrine of heresy, pure [...]

What Does it Mean that Israel is a “Prerequisite” for the End Times?

What Does it Mean that Israel is a “Prerequisite” for the End Times?

Pastor Jack Hibbs of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills, California, stated that according to the Bible, Israel is a “prerequisite” for the End Times. He made this claim by denouncing something called “Replacement Theology” as “heresy.” Replacement Theology is said to be a false doctrine that declares that the church has replaced Israel, and that God is done with the Jews. (I’ll deal with the particulars [...]