1 2013 James P. Steel See printed material for permissions.
Chapter 1 Begin at the Beginning
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Attacks from Without Our Reformed brethren accuse us of
teaching that God has more than one program. Ecumenical
neo-evangelicals cite our negative world view. Even some
Dispensationalists have begun spiritualizing away its core
elements. Well known denominationalists call Dispensationalism a
cult. Cultists dismiss Dispensationalism by falsifying its history
and teachings. Historians in general dismiss it as a pass
theological theory of apocalyptic zealots. 1 Attacks from Within 2
Why it Matters 3 Dispensationalism is Under Unprecedented Attack
Only in Dispensationalism: Can the average Christian understand
Gods Word without being in bondage to the church fathers. Only in
Dispensationalism: Is Christ given His full position as prophet,
priest, and King! Only in Dispensationalism: Can GRACE flow freely!
Only in Dispensationalism: Can Gods darling Israel be protected and
receive the promises He has made to her! Only in Dispensationalism:
Does the believer fully understand Gods will for his life and His
role in Gods program!
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First, last, and always, Dispensationalism is about
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When we fall into error here. Its because we failed to begin
here.
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God is unlike God is unchanging God is up close and
personal
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GOD IS UNCHANGING GOD IS UNLIKE GOD IS UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL
Isaiah 40:6-25 God is completely separate from and unlike His
creation. While God fills His creation He is not a part of
creation. creation based worshipper If you believe that God and His
creation are part of each other, you are a creation based
worshipper instead of a creator based worshipper. Creation based
worship permeates false religions.
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GOD IS UNLIKE GOD IS UNCHANGING GOD IS UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL
Hebrews 1:10,12; James 1:17, Psalm 102:26-28 Our God is the ONLY
God who does not and cannot change. He is outside of the changing
creation. All other gods are subject to change, including Islams
Allah and Mormonisms faux Elohim. Without this singular trait, none
of the words or promises of God would have any meaning. God simply
does not change. Period. S WIFT TO ITS CLOSE EBBS OUT LIFE S LITTLE
DAY ; EARTH ' S JOYS GROW DIM ; ITS GLORIES PASS AWAY ; CHANGE AND
DECAY IN ALL AROUND I SEE ; O THOU WHO CHANGEST NOT, ABIDE WITH ME
!
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GOD IS UNLIKE GOD IS UNCHANGING GOD IS UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL
John 3:16, Isaiah 55:6,7 God loves His creation, fallen as it is.
Since the day when He called Where art thou? to Adam, He has
provided for our restoration. The souls of men will find no rest
until they find their complete rest in God through Christ. God
calls upon us to seek Him while He may be found. Today is the day
of salvation. We can know Christ intimately!
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God is unlike God is unchanging God is up close and personal
Why is this important to me? Because God is unchanging I know He
will be forever consistent in all He says and does. This is the
basis of my faith. Beause God is personal and interpersonal I know
He will communicate and fellowship with me. This is why I was made.
*Reminder: I can only fellowship with God on His terms. Because God
is unlike anything, I must not compare Him to anything. That would
be idolatry.
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God is self - revealing God is personally active Gods works are
His witness to us
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GOD IS PERSONALLY ACTIVE GOD IS SELF-REVEALING 2 Peter 3:5-7;
Rom 1:18-20; 2 Tim. 3:14-17; Heb. 1:1-2; Acts 17:30-31 GODS WORKS
ARE HIS WITNESS His Word God alone is self-revealing through His
Word. God has authority over me: By right of creation. By right of
revelation. By right of redemption. God spoke the creation into
being. I must respond. God spoke through the scriptures. I must
respond. God spoke through His Son. I must respond.
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GOD IS PERSONALLY ACTIVE GOD IS SELF-REVEALING GODS WORKS ARE
HIS WITNESS God is not a distant creator- judge. For the eyes of
the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself
strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him (2Ch
16:9) He intervenes daily in the activities of men. He declares the
course of history. He fashioned you before you were born! And he
changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth
up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them
that know understanding: (Dan 2:21) I will praise thee; for I am
fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that
my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee,
when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest
parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being
unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in
continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.
(Psa 139:14-16)
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GOD IS PERSONALLY ACTIVE GOD IS SELF-REVEALING GODS WORKS ARE
HIS WITNESS O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon his name: make
known his deeds among the people. Sing unto him, sing psalms unto
him: talk ye of all his wondrous works. Glory ye in his holy name:
let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD. Seek the LORD,
and his strength: seek his face evermore. Remember his marvellous
works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of his
mouth; (Psa 105:1-5)
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God is self - revealing God is personally active. Gods works
are His witness to us Why is this important to me? God has
personality. I must become a new creation in order to understand
Him and His ways. All of mankind is accountable for the truth God
has revealed through the creation, through His Word, and through
His Son. never I can trust the way God speaks. I must never rely on
other sources.
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The following slide contains one of the most misunderstood
facts of all time. To miss this point is to miss the whole basis of
your relationship with God. To miss this point is to miss the
foundation of Dispensationalism.
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Throughout history, God has dealt with men on the basis of only
one thing: There is simply no other way to approach God, to seek
His blessing, or fellowship, except on the basis of a promise.
every single interaction We may not always be aware of the exact
promise we are benefitting from, but there is ALWAYS a promise
behind every single interaction between God and men. His
PROMISES
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When we exercise faith, for example, we are simply laying hold
on the promises of God: FAITH There is no such thing as free
standing faith. It is not enough to simply believe! Faith is not
faith unless it is based upon an object. When we lay hold on the
promises of God we are exercising biblical faith. We can trust God
because He is unchanging. His promises are sure!
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At this point, you may be asking, So, when are we going to
actually start studying Dispensationalism? The answer is, we have
been studying it all along! Dispensationalism is simply a study of
the promises of God, nothing more, nothing less. However, before we
begin our journey, we must learn a little bit more about how
promises actually work. God has made all sorts of promises. Some
are great promises. Some are incidental promises. Some are made to
individuals only. Some are made to all. Some promises were
temporary because they just addressed a specific need. Most of Gods
promises are permanent. HOW, THEN DO WE SORT OUT THE PROMISES OF
GOD? The Holy Spirit has provided us with two keys to help us
understand the promises of God. Heres my promise to you: When you
grasp these two keys which are freely taught in Gods Word, you will
never be confused about Dispensationalism or major prophetic issues
again! But first, a final admonition concerning what God expects
from us: Short Definition: A Dispensationalist is one who takes the
promises of God literally.
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You must truly desire to have the Word of God opened to you.
You must take this study very seriously. For this cause we also,
since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to
desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in
all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy
of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work,
and increasing in the knowledge of God; (Col 1:9-10)
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www.BiblicalIntensives.com According as his divine power hath
given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness,
through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and
virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious
promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature,
having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. -
2 Peter 1:3-4 www.BiblicalIntensives.com We invite you to visit us
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