Posted on 08/02/2006 5:37:46 AM PDT by rightwingintelligentsia
When Tim LaHaye talks, the faithful listen—by the millions. The conservative Protestant minister is the coauthor of the wildly popular apocalyptic “Left Behind” novels. The controversial books, which have sold more than 60 million copies, depict the biblical end of the world: the Christian eschatology of the upheaval that precedes the second coming of Jesus Christ, known also as “end times.” LaHaye recently spoke with NEWSWEEK’s Brian Braiker about why he believes the events currently unfolding in the Middle East reflect biblical prophesy.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
"So we'll add "smart-ass" and "slanderer" to the list of personal insults then. OK"
HEY...is this one of the Jersey Girls!?!...you're playing the victim so well, I just had to ask.
p.s.um...yes...you can now add Jersey Girl to the list...and cry-baby too, if you'd like. *sheesh*
Agree that the sometimes the "bridge" method of evangelism can be the most effective. Take the current scene and "bridge" it into the gospel message...similar to Paul's method in Ephasus with the "unknown god".
I think that with the LB series, the intent was initially different. It seemed to me that the authors wanted to share the gospel message while relating it to the times in which we live, as it related to end times prophecy. Let's face it, most Christian novels are not best sellers and I can't think of a production by which Jenkins/Lahaye had noteriety before publishing their books. I imagine that they never dreamed it would be so successful.
The book shelves are repleat with novels that are good stories...and that's all. But the LB books allowed believers the opportunity to share the gospel in a manner that they personally were not confident/equipped to do...by simply sharing a good book. I know many of the LB books were read by unbelievers who then began asking questions..."is this realy what the Bible says is gonna happen?...and then leading into discussions that would probably never take place. Additionally, the books provided something that inspired believers. Here was a what-if scenario played out in dramatic form...what would a pre-trib rapture mean to the unbelieving world, to luke-warm believers and to society in general. For the believer, it bolstered hope in the very simple form of a novel.
Paul used the unknown god to point to Jesus. A Christian in a godless workplace lives a life that points to God. A funeral is attended by an unbeliever and he/she begins seeking God. A drug addict hits bottom only to receive the love of Christ and end up seeking Him. Each case, a worldly event or a tragdey is redeemed by the Creator for His glory. It is well within His MO to use the lowly things of this world and the foolish things of this world to glorify Himself. And a novel, by two unknowns in an arena where the Christian message is not often successful...well...look what He did! And I cannot count how many unbelievers read those books...and only He knows how many were redeemed.
I don't believe it was an excersize in exploitation by the authors. Motive...well...can't say...that's b/t them and the Lord.
But I am reluctant to bash the authors simply based upon the GUESS, the false accusation, that their MO was purely FILTHY LUCRE.
As a matter of fact, b/c of the LB series, I've been reading more and more Chrisitan novels.
So there!
1 Cor 7:7-8
There is no 'original Greek' in the Textus Receptus...You may be referring to the Catholic's Septuagint but that is by no means the Textus Receptus...
" Your interpretation of Scripture begs the question as to the authority of Scripture itself."
That's funny. I was thinking the same of you.
Touche. I must admit, though, that the passage I cited was strictly Paul's opinion. I was merely hoping to lessen the anxiety of your situation.
Very precious verses full of hope and vitality in our era!
Wellll, dear Brother . . . we know
who the real niggers are hereon! LOL. Maybe we should get T-shirts?
"CHARISMATIC REL FORUM NIGGERS ON FR!"
Least-wise, the whipping post usually finds the usual parties trying to tie us to it rather permanently. LOL. And, we sure get away with a LOT less even hints at making things personal than a LOT of others. But that's OK. Being a Mod has to be a thankless job and they are only human.
[No offense thought, meant or felt toward any race.]
"I've lost count of how many times he's re-written The Late Great Planet Earth."
Yeah, and I'm sure it just gets better and better with age. ;-)
"He's on marriage number 4 at the moment"
I didn't know that. A friend of mine calls that kind of stuff "serial polygamy".
It's easier to escape life with the non-biblical fantasies that Lindsey promotes than it is to accept that we are supposed to be here to improve this world, not just waiting for our turn to get taken out of it.
The enthusiasm for the LB series is more of a reflection of our culture than anything, this idea that someone else will take responsibility for us. We are reaping the seeds of socialist indoctrination.
Now Bro Zech (and such other bystanders as feel compelled to gaze at my humble words) . . . No need to be unmindfully, thoughtlessly clueless! These experiences with such folk are a TRADITION hereabouts. It's part of a certain ilk of a . . . well . . . a . . .
RED BADGE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS AND PRISTINE INTELLECTUALLY PUREST PURE; TRUEST TRULY TRUE THEOLOGY!
GAG, HACK, CHOKE, COUGH, AIR!!!
TO TRADITION! (Cue Tevye and Fiddler On The Roof sound track) After all, someone HAS to keep the ranks of the pontificating whited sepulchrs full! LOL.
BTW, the above satirical commentary is brought to you through the courtesy of . . . the money changer's tables at the LaHaye sidewalk institute. It is a commentary on a subset of theological perspectives on the part of a subset of Christian pontificators striving earnestly to follow in the best steps of the Papal pontificators while denying the pontifications thereof. Kind of akin to believing Paul's writing except when he talks about wishing that all prophecied or prayed in tongues etc. . . . a form of Godliness while denying the power there of etc.
Therefore, all resemblence between the above satire and the guilty is either totally by chance or thoroughly intended or some mysterious combination of the above. Get your handy Holy Land olive wood discerner out and see if you can detect, if you have nothing better to do.
BT
AR
EOJ
you are talking about replacement theology which believes exactly as you stated. however nowhere in the bible does it even suggest that GOD would cast away the nation of israel. he has given them a promise through abraham, issac and jacob(renamed israel) that HE would give them the land that abraham walked on and that they would be the head of all nations, that has not happened at all in the history of the world.
= = = =
Well put.
"he has given them a promise through abraham, issac and jacob(renamed israel) that HE would give them the land that abraham walked on and that they would be the head of all nations"
Yep, and in the prophecies of Jeremiah he issued a bill of divorce against them, too.
The Tribulation is not just 7 years [3 1/2 + 3 1/2] long.
= = = =
Hmmmmm . . . so . . . did God take such great pains to put the period of The Great Tribulation in a percise number of days etc. several different ways just because He had nothing better to do while He was out on His after dinner farting constitutional walk?
"There are many anti Christs and then The Anti Christ who will want to be worshiped as God. He will insist on it. Is he here now waiting to reveal himself? Could be."
There is no reference to a specific Anti-Christ 'who will want to be worshiped as God'.
People are going to believe LaHaye?
He is one of the boriest writers!
and in the prophecies of Jeremiah he issued a bill of divorce against them, too.
= = = =
Sounds like the ASSUMPTIONS about "them" above are rather . . . arbitrary and unmoveable.
BTTT! You are right on!
"For my crackpot claim I need only look to his note on Revelations 1:20 in which he declares that the letters to the seven churches really mean seven coming ages of church history - without a shred of substantiating evidence from any other place in Scripture."
That one is bad enough, but it's not as bad as the claim they make regarding Daniel ch. 9 that the "Prince" referenced is the AntiChrist, whereas that passage clearly is talking about the Prince being the "Prince of Peace". They gonna have some 'splainin' to do on that one, methinks.
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