Thursology: Recent Episodes
Renovation Church
Join us each week as Dr. Dan Spaite explores what the Bible teaches about the Last Days and the Second Coming of Christ.
In this mini-series about the Book of Life and salvation theology…we’re dealing with the 5 points of the “TULIP” of Calvinism. And now we come to the “I”…Irresistible Grace. This is defined as, “God…by His sovereign mandate…irresistibly FORCES saving grace upon those whom He elected.” The implications of this Calvinist doctrine are profound…including how it brings into question why we need to witness…or why we send missionaries around the world. Because, if the doctrine of Irresistible Grace is true, then the elect will be saved…no matter what we do…and the un-elect will be lost…no matter what we do. Join Dr. Dan as he unpacks the biblical response to the concept of Irresistible Grace.
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In this mini-series about the Book of Life and salvation theology…we’re dealing with the 5 points of the “TULIP” of Calvinism. And now we come to the “L”…Limited Atonement. This Reformed doctrine holds that Christ only died for those whom the Father elected. But, as soon as you start digging into the Old and New Testament understanding of Atonement…you find a relentless affirmation that Christ died for all…for everyone…for the whole world. Join Dr. Dan as he unpacks the Word’s clarity on the fact that the Blood of Christ has been shed for all…and that the provision for salvation has been made for everyone.
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In this mini-series about the Book of Life and salvation theology…we’re dealing with the Doctrine of Predestination. And amazingly, in this session…we find that the resolution of the tension between God’s sovereignty and human freewill is found in the life of Pharaoh and the plagues of Egypt. In the interactions between Pharaoh, Moses, and God…we see the affirmation that…despite Pharaoh’s freedom to obey or disobey God’s will…God would establish His purposes…either WITH Pharaoh’s obedience…or BECAUSE OF his disobedience!!!
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In this mini-series about the Book of Life and salvation theology, this month, Dr. Dan dispels the error, taught by some, that Predestination is about personal salvation. In fact…it’s not. But…there IS a biblical doctrine of Predestination. And in this session…we’ll find out the surprising biblical truths about what it REALLY means to be CHOSEN!!!
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In this mini-series about salvation theology, we now turn to the biblical texts that bear directly on the doctrines related to the Lamb’s Book of Life. And what we find is really unexpected!!! Dr. Dan will show that what “Average Joe Calvinist”…AND…what “Average Joe Arminian” believe about the Book…are WRONG!!! So…join us…and be ready to be surprised!!!
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In this mini-series about the Book of Life and salvation theology, we’re now working through the implications of the Calvinist doctrine of Unconditional Election (“Double Predestination”). In this session, Dr. Dan will give the biblical response to the Reformed theological contention that everything is pre-determined by God and that humans have no freedom to choose good or evil, love or hate, God or self. We’ll see that the Word teaches that the greatest privilege that humans have is to FREELY and WILLINGLY respond to the grace that God offers to all…and to CHOOSE to join Him in His great purposes.
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In this mini-series about the Book of Life and salvation theology, we’re now working through the implications of the Calvinist doctrine of Unconditional Election (“Double Predestination”). In this session, Dr. Dan will give the biblical response to the Reformed contention that everything is determined and that humans have no freedom to choose good or evil, love or hate, God or self. We’ll see that the Word teaches that the greatest privilege that humans have is to freely and willingly respond to the grace that God offers to all…and to choose to join Him in His great purposes.
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In Revelation 20, the Word reveals that…in the end…what ultimately matters is that a person’s name is in the Book of Life. In this series on the biblical theology of salvation, we’ll deal with the question, “Why, if God is absolutely sovereign and absolutely loving, EVERYONE isn’t saved?” The Calvinists’ response to this question is the idea that “God has TWO wills: One will of ‘desire’…and another will of ‘decree.’” In this session, Dr. Dan will give the biblical response…and show how the Scriptural concept of God granting humans the gift of genuine freedom and choice, resolves the irreconcilable contradiction that is created by the Reformed “Two-Wills” concept.
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In Revelation 20, the text speaks of the Lamb’s Book of Life and pronounces that…in the end…what ultimately matters is whether a person’s name is in the Book. In this series, Dr. Dan is unpacking the biblical theology of salvation. And this session focuses on answering the question, “Did God predestine who will be saved and who will be lost???” In response, we’ll begin looking at the two classical theological views about Election and Predestination.
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In this session, we begin a new mini-series related to the Last Days. As the Book of Revelation ends…we find that…in the end…what ultimately matters is whether a person’s name is in the Lamb’s Book of Life. In this series, Dr. Dan will unpack the biblical theology of issues like God’s sovereignty “versus” human freedom, election, predestination, atonement, eternal security, backsliding, and the unpardonable sin. Join us as we work through the biblical theology of the profoundly important matters of salvation…that many believers have strong beliefs about…but have never actually wrestled with by exposing their opinions to the biblical texts that bring their opinions into question. Be ready to be challenged!!!
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In our study on Laodicea…the lukewarm, compromising church of the Last Days, we will now see the powerful effect that the Remnant…the part-within-the-part-within-the-whole…can have on the world…and on the intermingled church. In this study, Dr. Dan will unpack some amazing passage from the Song of Solomon and the Book of Genesis that reveal how much God loves us…and how much He desires for us to be purified and empowered…to help Him save His church…and His world!!!
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In our study on Laodicea…the lukewarm, compromising church of the Last Days, we now come to a pervasive biblical concept of how God saves nations, and His people, when they have turned from Him. When the “part-within-the-whole” (Israel/the Church) intermingles with the world, then He uses a “part-within-the-part-within-the-whole” (The “Remnant”) to save the world. In this session, Dr. Dan shows how…when God must allow His people to be exiled because of their repeated disobedience…His righteous, set-apart Remnant becomes the powerful tool that He uses to carry out His salvation plan for the church…and for the nation.
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In Revelation 3, the final church…Laodicea…represents the lukewarm, compromising church of the Last Days. In this session, Dr. Dan continues the series with the “Prophetic Words” that reliably come to God’s people when they live in compromise. We’ve seen the link between the American Church today and the intermingled Hebrew nation that was exiled into Babylon. But remarkably…even if the church is headed into exile and persecution…there is actually hope in such calamity. It’s found in the biblical concept of “God’s Cycle of Redemptive Judgment.” In this cycle…we see how God can even use pain…to save His people…to save…us!!!
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In Revelation 3, the final church…Laodicea…represents the lukewarm, compromising church of the Last Days. In this session, Dr. Dan continues the mini-series with the “Prophetic Words” that reliably come to God’s people when they live in compromise. And he makes the link between the American Church today and the compromising Hebrew nation that was exiled into Babylon. And…remarkably…when God disciplines His wayward people by allowing the world to persecute them…He actually calls them to embrace their exile and to respond with deep repentance. But…the great news is…on the other side of exile comes grace, restoration, and redemption. And now God’s people…purified by going through “the fire”…are in a position to help God save His world!!!
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Many believe that the last church in Revelation, Laodicea, represents the lukewarm, compromising church of the Last Days. In this session, Dr. Dan continues the mini-series with the “Prophetic Words” that reliably come to God’s people when they live in compromise. And the next prophetic word is ominous: “Because of your repeated return the world’s ways…I am sending you into exile.” This session faces the grim reality of the current status of the American church…and that the Lord may have to allow persecution and disruption of the church to finally get our attention. But…the good news is…through exile…in the end…the Lord will save us…and use us to save our land!!!
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Many believe that Laodicea…the 7th church in Revelation 3…represents the lukewarm, compromising church of the End Times. In this session, Dr. Dan continues the mini-series with the “Prophetic Words” that reliably come to God’s people when they live like the world. And this month we find that…when God’s people PURSUE power…not only do they fail to gain WORLDLY power…they end up losing GOD’S power as well!!! When the Disciples sought worldly authority…they lost power over the forces of darkness…and the forces of darkness gained power over them!!! And they now had nothing to offer to those who were lost. They no longer had the only power that would be able to deliver those who were imprisoned by their sin. When the followers of Christ focus on who’s going to be in charge…and who gets the say-so…then we lose the only power that really matters.
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Many believe that Laodicea…the 7th church in Revelation 3…represents the lukewarm, compromising church of the End Times. In this session, Dr. Dan continues the mini-series with the “Prophetic Words” that reliably come to God’s people when they live like the world. And the next “Word” describes a recurrent error among God’s people when they become lukewarm: They place their hope in partnerships with political alliances…human government…and worldly power! So, this session is a call for God’s people to return to a single-minded trust and dependence on God’s power alone.
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Many theologians believe that Laodicea…the 7th church in Revelation 3…represents the lukewarm church that has intermingled with the world that will be present during the End Times. In this session, Dr. Dan continues the mini-series with the “Prophetic Words” that reliably come to God’s people when they compromise and become like…or even worse than…the world. When the 8th Prophetic Word comes…it says that God’s people have become “worse than Sodom.” And when this happens…the people of God have become disqualified from speaking truth to the world. Tonight, we wrestle with how God can reach a lost world…when His church has disqualified itself from speaking Truth.
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Revelation 2 & 3 are messages to seven 1st century churches in Asia Minor. In addition to being 7 extant churches at the time of John’s writing, many scholars believe that they represent 7 “eras” of the church…as it has progressed through the ages. And so…it appears that the End-Times church is the lukewarm church thathas intermingled with the world. In this session, Dr. Dan shows the parallel between the Southern Kingdom of Judah and what has happened in the American church. Using this parallel, we see how the 8 “Prophetic Words” to God’s people in the OT are directly relevant to the modern church…and establish a stunning warning to those who have become lukewarm.
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In Revelation 2 & 3, there are messages from Jesus to 7 churches. These represent specific churches of John’s day and also a description of 7 types of churches that have existed throughout Christian history. However, some theologians also believe that they represent 7 “eras” of the church…as it has progressed through the ages. And with that understanding, it points to the End-Times church being a very lukewarm church that’s intermingled with the world. In this session, Dr. Dan unpacks the implications of the Church of Laodicea…especially as it relates to the American church today.
Wars and rumors of wars!!! Pestilence…famine…pandemics…global distress. Are these the “Signs of the Times” that so many renowned authors and speakers have declared as the harbingers of Christ’s imminent return? In this month’s teaching, Dr. Dan presents the biblical concept of the Signs of the Times…and the surprise that they’re not what most believers think. He will present the dramatic contrast between the popular teachings…and what the Word actually says about “The Signs of the Times.”
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Have you ever been reading a prophetic biblical passage…and wondered where it fits into the Last Days? In this session, Dr. Dan will review how the timing of the End Times will unfold. He will then present a series of hints to help identify where various prophetic passages fit into the Timeline. This session will be invaluable for those who have ever struggled with understanding how to place events from the Scripture into the timing of the End.
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Many believers struggle with understanding how to fit together the timing of the various events of the Last Days. The Rapture (Pre, Mid, Post-Trib)? The Millennium (Pre, Post, Amillennial)? In this session, Dr. Dan gives an overview of how the various Rapture and Millennial views fit into the biblical understanding of the End Times. He also answers the commonly-asked question: “Why will there be a Millennium…what is its purpose?”
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In the Last Days, there will be huge, global wars. And at the center of these massive battles…will be the Nation of Israel. So…are the events we see going on in the Middle East harbingers of The End??? Join Dr. Dan in this session as he unpacks what Israel’s conflict could potentially mean from the perspective of biblical prophecy.
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We’ve learned that 666…The Mark…will be far more than simply an identifier that allows people to buy and sell during the Tribulation. I will also mean being loyal to…and worshiping…The Beast!!! This week…we continue our miniseries on Worship…and we’ll find that idolatry isn’t just a thing of the past…but is all around us. And…we’ll be reminded of how subtle and “uneventful” the slide of a believer into pursuing counterfeit gods can be. Because…everyone worships something!!!
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”666”…what will it mean??? Remarkably, many teachings about The Mark of the Beast have missed the main point of what Revelation teaches about it. Those who receive “The Mark” will actually worship the Beast…believing that he is the “savior of the world.” And for those who choose loyalty to the One True God…the price will be as high as it has ever been. So…how do we prepare our hearts and lives to refuse “The Mark” and to be faithful to Christ? Watch this session to see what the Word teaches about this important End Times question.
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Much has been discussed, argued, and written about the Revelation concept of “The Mark of the Beast.” The Mark…”666”…becomes the symbol of the Antichrist’s economic control of the world during the last half of the 7-year Tribulation. But it also represents far more than that: Loyalty to the Beast!!! And…it spells certain death for the followers of Christ in the Last Days! However, in the end, there’s another issue that’s indelibly tied to The Mark. It’s actually the Main Point of The Mark…and…of The Revelation!!! Join us for Thursology…and you’ll find out what it is.
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Tonight, we deal with some of the sticky philosophical issues related to Hell. Questions like, “How can you reconcile a loving God with an eternal Hell? The deep philosophical questions related to eternal judgment are not new. And the biblical and philosophical responses to these questions aren’t new either. In this session, Dr. Dan will present the insights from some great Christian philosophers…having condensed 100s of hours of reading…into just a few pages of notes. And we’ll find out, in this discussion, a truth that CS Lewis wrote: In the end, there will only be two kinds of people: Those who say to God, “Thy will be done,” and, those to whom God says, “Thy will be done.”
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Have you ever been bothered by the concept that there is a final judgment coming...and that some will be forever separated from God after that judgment? And...have you ever grappled with the concepts of eternal punishment...and Hell? In this month's teaching, Dr. Dan will deal with the issue of the fact that God has so much love for humans...and so much grace...and yet...there is still...Hell.
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Have you ever been confused by the various Judgments that will occur at the end of time? This Thursday, join Dr. Dan in learning about the timing...the purpose...and the outcome of each of the Judgments that the Scripture says are coming. We'll focus specifically on the Sheep and Goats Judgment...and the Great White Throne Judgment that comprise the Final Judgments. In this teaching, we'll also see the implications for us, as believers, to be about the business of helping God to save His world!
Scripture teaches that we will ALL stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ. In this session, we'll explore what the Apostle Paul meant in I Corinthians 3 when he said that "each one's works will be tested by fire." We'll also see how it could be that, if we "built our house" with "wood, hay, and straw"...our works will be "burned up." Dr. Dan will unpack the details of what the Word means that a believer could be saved..."yet, so as through fire." Then...we'll look at the Word's anticipation of the faithful believer receiving eternal rewards and "crowns" from our Savior...at the Believer's Judgment.
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Many believers say things like, "In the end, all that matters is that my sins are forgiven and I get to have eternal life." Not only is this a remarkably self-centered perspective...it's biblically incorrect!!! Indeed, we (believers) will ALL stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ. In this new mini-series, we will look at what Scripture teaches about the End Times Judgments. We'll start with the believer's Judgment (the Judgment Seat of Christ) and then will move on to the Great White Throne Judgment and the Sheep & Goats Judgment. This session gives the Lord's invitation to live THIS life in such a way...that it is transformative of what our experience will be...when we stand before Christ.
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Many people conceive of "This Life" and "The NEXT Life" as two disconnected realities. However, Scripture teaches that there is a flawless continuity between life before and after physical death. Hence, the absurd misunderstanding that I can love living MY way here...but since I was "Born Again"...when I stop breathing...I'll love living in Heaven where GOD'S will is ALWAYS done. The fact is, the only people who will love Heaven are those whose greatest delight is in pleasing God...BEFORE they go to Heaven. For...as CS Lewis said, "Even Heaven would be Hell for someone who demands THEIR OWN WAY!"
After Jesus returns, will there be any second chances to accept Him as Savior? Or...will everyone's choice already have been made? This month we'll focus on the finality of people's decisions that will have been made when Christ comes back. We'll also deal with the many misunderstandings that surround the biblical teaching of WHY the choices that have been made at the time of the 2nd coming...are indelible and irreversible.
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This week, Dr. Dan will deal with the fact that, no matter how strongly a person believes their particular Rapture timing view...there are a lot of other believers who disagree with them. This session will deal with the reasons why the Pre-Trib, the Mid-Trib, and the Post-Trib views have all flourished in the Church for centuries...and why God would leave something as important as the timing of the Rapture...up in the air!!!!
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If the return of Christ is such an important Doctrine…and if the blessed hope of the Church is Christ’s return…then why would God leave the timing of such an important event...up in the air??? Why would He leave something this important up for multiple different interpretations within the historic, orthodox Church??? In this session, we’ll find that in answering these questions…and by living into the tensions that exist between the various views…we’ll actually discover profound new insights that the Lord wants us to learn.
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The Post-Trib Rapture view holds that the Church will go through the entire Tribulation. Then, believers who've survived the 7 years will be caught up to be with Christ in the air as part of a complex 2nd Coming event as He descends to Earth to win the Battle of Armageddon. In this session, Dr. Dan will explore some of the biblical challenges to this view. For example, since the prophetic Scriptures tell us there will be exactly 2520 days from the Peace Treaty and the 2nd Coming...then wouldn't believers be able to predict the Day of Christ's return? And, if Christ can't come for His Bride until after the events of Revelation 6-19 unfold...doesn't that mean that He can't return TODAY...and doesn't that destroy the historic Doctrine of Imminency...that Christ can return for the Church at any moment?
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We've now worked through the strengths and weaknesses of the Pre-Trib and Mid-Trib Rapture timing views. And now we're ready to look at the Post-Trib view. Will the Church go through the Tribulation...and be subject to being hunted down by the global forces of darkness? Will we face the worldwide 666 Mark of the Beast campaign and be forced to worship the Antichrist...or be executed for refusing? In this session, Dr. Dan unpacks the Post-Tribulational Rapture View and its implications.
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In our series on the timing of the Rapture, we've now come to the Mid-Trib View. Proponents of this view believe that the Revelation 11 event...where the Two Witnesses are resurrected and caught up into heaven...is a picture of Christ coming for the Church...exactly halfway through the 7-Year Tribulation. In this session, Dr. Dan unpacks the strengths and weaknesses of the Mid-Tribulational Rapture View.
We've seen that the Pre-Trib View teaches that the Church will be removed before the Tribulation, allowing for the Last Seven Years to unfold for Israel. But those who believe that God is done with Israel (Replacement Theology)...and don't believe that the Israel will be the focus of the Tribulation...are actually making a grave theological error that actually has the implication of risking...not just eschatology...but the entire basis for our salvation as well.
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We've seen that the Pre-Trib View teaches that the Church will be removed before the Tribulation, allowing for the Last Seven Years to unfold for Israel. But those who believe that God is done with Israel (Replacement Theology)...and don't believe that the Israel will be the focus of the Tribulation...are actually making a grave theological error that actually has the implication of risking...not just eschatology...but the entire basis for our salvation as well.
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The Pre-Trib view does a good job of integrating the centuries of the Gap between the 69th and 70th "weeks" of Daniel...and the fundamental biblical Covenants. The integration precisely and fully provides for the fulfillment of both the Old and New Testament Covenants and...according the the Pre-Trib advocates...marvelously resolves many theological issues that have been controversial for many centuries.
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A biblical “mystery” is an event or concept that appears in the New Testament…but was not anticipated by the Old Testament. And there are surprisingly few of them (only 12 or 13). In tonight's teaching, we'll find that the Mysterious Gap between Daniel's 69th and 70th "weeks" uncovers one of the most surprising of all biblical mysteries. And...we'll see that the unpacking of this mystery says something about human destiny...and free will.
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This week we deal with the 5th Strength of Pre-Trib Rapture View: This view squares perfectly with the Mysterious Gap between Daniel's 69th and 70th groups of seven years.
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We continue to look at the Pre-Trib Rapture Timing and the arguments made by the proponents of this view. Tonight's teaching uncovers that Revelation chapters 2 & 3 are all about the Church...but then it vanishes for the rest of The Revelation...and Israel is prominent throughout the Tribulation.
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In this series on the biblical strengths and weakness of the 3 classic Rapture views...we continue to look at the Pre-Trib Rapture Timing and the arguments made by the proponents of this view. And tonight's teaching leads us to learn what the Scripture says about an event that most believers will be very surprised about..."The Judgment Seat of Christ."
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The Pre-Trib Rapture view believes that, before the beginning of the 7-year Tribulation, Christ will return for His Church, resurrect dead believers, transform the bodies of His living followers into immortal bodies, and catch us away to meet Him in the air. This will leave everyone else behind to live through the cataclysmic Tribulation, with its judgments and global disasters, and to face the horrifying Mark-of-the-Beast campaign where everyone has to decide whether they will worship the Antichrist. However, the Mid-Trib view believes the Church will go through the first half of the Tribulation...and the Post-Trib view teaches that the Church will go through the entire 7 years with everyone else. We now begin looking at the strengths and weaknesses of each of the Rapture views.
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After the preparation we’ve done in the last 3 weeks…we’re ready to study the three Rapture Timing Views that have survived the test of time in the Church. These views are believed by 100s of millions of followers of Christ around the world. We’ll see what the proponents of the Pre-Trib, the Mid-Trib, and the Post-Trib Rapture views teach about when Christ will catch His Bride up into the air for the Great Reunion with our Coming King. And then we’ll go through the biblical support…and the biblical challenges…for each of these views.
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Controversies reign in the arena of Rapture timing. But, despite the differences that exist between the proponents of the Pre-Trib, Mid-Trib, and Post-Trib views, there are a lot of aspects about the Rapture that aren’t controversial at all. This we begin with what we know for sure about the Rapture. In this session, we’ll cover the details of the biblical descriptions of what happens in this astonishing future event…when Christ comes for His Bride!!!
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In our series about the Last Days…we’ve come to what the Bible teaches about the Rapture: The future event when the Lord comes for His Church, resurrects the dead in Christ, and in a twinkling of an eye…changes the bodies of living believers into their eternal resurrection bodies. Tonight, we begin this series by laying the groundwork of understanding what will go on during the last 7 years of history. This timeline flows directly out of Scripture, rather than being some theological system that’s overlaid to make the text say what we want it to say. And with this foundation laid, we'll be ready to study the biblical strengths and weaknesses of the three classic Rapture views: The Pre-Trib, Mid-Trib, and Post-Trib.
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Left Behind??? At some point in the future…will the Church vanish...leaving billions of people to live through the most horrendous time in history? Or will the Church go through the Great Tribulation along with the rest of the world? In response to these questions, Dr. Dan is launching a new Thursology series entitled, “Left Behind!!! Will the Church be Raptured Before the Tribulation??? In this series…we’ll look at what the Scripture teaches about the Rapture…and we’ll unpack the biblical strengths and weaknesses of the Pre-Trib, Mid-Trib, and Post-Trib views.
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Did Jesus have a bizarre, pathological need to make it look like he was the Jewish Messiah? So say many "scholars" who have posited the "Passover Plot." The story goes like this: Jesus and his band of deluded followers set up a masquerade to help him meet as many prophecies as possible...and to steal the body after he died...to make it look as if he was raised from the dead. This week, Dr. Dan demolishes the Passover Plot/Fake Resurrection myths by presenting the undeniable evidence that...on the third day...Jesus rose from the grave!!!
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Leading up to Easter, Dr. Dan is teaching about the Preposterous Messianic claims of Christ...and how Jesus astonishingly met and fulfilled all of them. But this week we take on the most serious threat to Jesus' Messiahship. Joseph, the father of Jesus, came from the line of King Jehoiakin...and the Prophet Jeremiah proclaimed that, because of his persistent evil, none of his descendants could sit on the throne of Israel. Because of this, Joseph was not an heir to the throne...and none of his SONS could be Israel's king. But...within the resolution of this threat to Jesus' Messiahship is an astounding proof that He is The Christ!!!
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In this mini-series leading up to Easter, Dr. Dan is teaching about the Preposterous Messianic claims of Christ...and how Jesus astonishingly met and fulfilled all of them. And this week we learn of the stunning precision of God threading the historical needle so that...just as mandated by the Prophets...the Messiah was born BEFORE Rome removed the right of declaring capital punishment from Israel. But...he also met the prophetic requirement to be executed AFTER this decision by the Caesars...so that He was crucified...rather than stoned. And we'll find that...in this seemingly-trivial historical nuance...lies the very salvation of the world...because...according to Moses...by hanging on a TREE...Jesus became the CURSE that was due to the Human Race!!!
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As we enter the Passover Season, Dr. Dan is launching a Thursology series about the preposterous Messianic claims of Christ. During the four weeks leading up to Easter, we will look at the remarkable fulfillment of prophecy in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. For example, did you know that the Old Testament prophecies...combined with specific historical events that occurred during the Roman Empire...meant that the Messiah had to be born before 2 BC...and that He had to die before 70 AD? And based upon Scriptural predictions like this...in the first week of this mini-series...we'll look at the astronomical mathematics against fulfilling just 10 Messianic prophecies. And then we'll try to ponder the incomprehensible fact that Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled more than 330!!!
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In this series on the implications of the Great Tribulation, we're dealing with the Problem of Evil. And this week we look at the issue of who is responsible for the sins we commit. Some people have humorously said of their sins, "The Devil made me do it!" But you might be surprised to find out that there is controversy in Christian thought about who causes evil. Calvinist theologian Edwin Palmer says, “…all things are ordained by God, including SIN and UNBELIEF…” And in a bizarre twist of logic, he goes on to say, "God ordains sin, and HUMANITY is to BLAME." In tonight's session, we'll show how untenable these concepts are...and deal directly with the issue of who is RESPONSIBLE for our evil. Be ready to be challenged!!!
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Last week we learned what forgiveness ISN'T. And now we're ready to see how the Jacob and Esau story gives us the steps and actions to take to bring about true forgiveness and the defeat of evil. While it's not easy...truly forgiving those who have hurt us brings miraculous freedom...and we'll see how this can bring about joy and release of bondage in our lives.
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One of the clear teachings of Jesus is that we must forgive those who have mistreated us. However, one problem among believers is that misunderstanding and misteaching sometimes places undue (and untrue) expectations on us of what forgiveness actually means. In this session, Dr. Dan teaches through the story of Jacob and Esau to show what foregiveness ISN'T. Many people who may have been struggling with forgiving someone will be helped by clearing up some of the confusion about what we have to do to truly forgive.
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Most of us have had things done wrong to us…by others. Like the time someone lied about us…or when our boss treated us unfairly…or when we got punished for something we didn’t do…or when someone cheated us. But during this session, we're going to "put the shoe on the other foot" and not let ourselves off the hook. In other words, while we’ve all been hurt by others…we’ve also hurt others ourselves!!! And to help us learn what we need to do to set things right with those whom we've hurt, we'll study the incredible interactions between two brothers: Jacob and Esau.
Download the full notes/outline for Episode 70 here.
In #69, we unpack "victimhood" by looking at 3 Key Concepts: #1: Whether you’re a true victim or not…if victimhood becomes your IDENTITY…it will DEFINE and CONTROL your life! #2: You must BREAK the bondage of victimhood…not by BEING a victim…but by REFUSING to be a victim! #3: The only PERFECT victim in all of history…didn’t CONSIDER Himself…a victim! Jesus showed us that the only way to have VICTORY over what has happened to us is to go to the Cross: We die to our past, die to our present, and die to our future...and then we live in the power of the RESURRECTION!!!
Download this week's notes: https://rb.gy/qfrtbo
In #68, we discover a really surprising biblical truth: The reason a good God allows calamity is because…sometimes…the best thing for people is pain!!! And even more amazing is the fact that God can use intentional evil done against us…to make us better than if we had never experienced the suffering!!! In this session, we study the life of Joseph and see how...even though he was treacherously mistreated...he allowed God to transform his life through the evil done against him. What we learn in this session isn't fun...but it has the potential to be powerfully transformative!!!
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When we experience trials or difficulty from any source…it can feel like God is against us. This is why difficult times tend to be when we ask the hard God questions: “Why did God do this to me…how can a loving God stand by and watch what I’m going through?” In #67, we'll find that most of the bad things that happen to us are not God testing us. So we'll look at the six other reasons why we experience hardship and suffering in this world...and then we’ll see how God can provide strength and hope in the midst of them all...and even how He will turn them back on the Enemy...to make us great!!!
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In this week’s episode of Thursology, Dr. Dan Spaite addresses the topic, “How can God use evil without causing evil?" He answers two related questions, “Can God use the evil of the demonic for His purposes?” And, “In Scripture, doesn't is look like God sometimes tempts people to do the wrong thing?" Listen to find the remarkable biblical answers to these questions through the lives of King Saul and Abraham.
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