White Horse Inn -- Summer 2013 Taping

We finished several days of taping new programs for the White Horse Inn.  Lots of great stuff coming including a series on "how to read your Bible" and another on a forth-coming book from Michael Horton (which I can tell you about shortly--great and profound stuff, however).

The Expanded Edition of "A Case for Amillennialism" Is Here . . . Amazon's Got `em!

This has been the summer for book news!

I'm thrilled to announce that the revised edition of my A Case for Amillennialism is about to hit the bookstores (I've already received my copies).

The expanded edition includes:

*  A "Foreword" from Mike Horton
*  A Preface to the Expanded Edition
*  Two new chapters:
         "The Antichrist" and "Signs of the End"
*  Eschatology charts
*  Scripture and Subject indices

You can order it here:

Paperback edition (from Amazon): 

Paperback Edition

Kindle Edition (from Amazon): 

Kindle Edition

"Do Not Interpretations Belong to God?" -- Genesis 40:1-23

Here's the audio from this morning's sermon by Rev. Compton:  Click Here

This Week's White Horse Inn

Dogma (Part Two)

On this edition of the program we conclude our two-part discussion of dogma. No one can really escape theology. Even the idea that the study of theology is a waste of time is a theological statement. At the end of the day, the question is whether our ideas about God match his own revelation of himself in Scripture.

Click Here

 edition of the program we conclude our two-part discussion of dogma. No one can really escape theology. Even the idea that the study of theology is a waste of time is a theological statement. At the end of the day, the question is whether our ideas about God match his own revelation of himself in Scripture. - See more at: http://www.whitehorseinn.org/blog/2013/07/28/whi-1164-dogma-part-2/#sthash.LzhWWO7n.dpuf

When the Lights Came On

I just returned from the White Horse Inn weekend event at the Paradise Point resort in San Diego.  We taped several programs (top), one of which will air as "When the Lights Came On."  We discussed the moment when each of us (the hosts) came to realize that Jesus Christ is the center of all of Scripture.  Mike Horton also gave four stellar lectures on finding Christ in all the Bible.  Great stuff!

In the bottom picture, Adam Christing (of Clean Comedians) is giving Ken Jones a well-deserved bad time.  Adam emceed the conference and did a great job! 

The event was a big hit and it looks like we'll do it again, next Summer.

It was a real pleasure to meet so many folks from all across the country who listen to the Inn and support us!  Thank you so much!

The Summer Slowdown

As we head into August, things here at the Riddleblog will slow down for a bit.

We've got a White Horse Inn event this weekend, followed by several days of taping next week while all of the hosts are in town.

Then its time for vacation--we'll be making our annual trip with family and friends to the Eastern Sierras (and yes, I am bringing my Snuggie so I can enjoy that cool mountain air in the mornings and evenings).

Lord willing, when I get back, I'll conclude my series on the "OC as a New Burned-Over District" (there are several more installments yet to come).  I'll be returning to my duties at Christ Reformed on the 19th, and will be preaching on August 25 (we'll resume our series on the Gospel of John).  I'll also be posting the schedule for the Wednesday night Bible Study, and the Academy (we've got some great lectures lined up). 

Then it will be Labor Day and the Summer of 2013 will be over.  Good grief, time flies, doesn't it.

So while things are slow around here, and while there are several weeks of Summer still left, feel free to comment on the OC series, about things you'd like to see on the blog, mention your favorite Civil War books, or even point out the reasons why MLB should suspend A-Rod for at least 100 games.  Anybody brave enough to pick the two World Series teams?

Gettysburg

Another book on Gettysburg?

Yup, another book on Gettysburg, which is the largest battle ever fought on North American soil, and one which, no doubt, changed the course of American history.  But this is a book well-worth tackling regardless of how much, or how little, you've read on the subject before.

Allen Guelzo is a capable historian and an interesting writer.  He has a knack for laying out established facts, which he then fleshes out in light of the opinions and observations of the participants (Guelzo makes extensive use of personal correspondence from the period).  Guelzo also has a knack for making very sane judgments (judgments which won't please revisionists) about the events he's just discussed.  And where applicable, he teases out the ramifications of these events for subsequent American history.

If you've read Michael Shaara's Killer Angels or have seen the glue-on beard marred epic movie "Gettysburg" (which actually isn't bad, except for Martin Sheen's horrible portrayal of Robert E. Lee as some sort of Eastern mystic), then you probably believe that the South's failure to capture Little Round Top toward the end of the second day (July 2) was the turning point of the three-day battle.  Not true. 

Guelzo makes a compelling case that while a serious Confederate effort to turn the Union flank at Little Round Top nearly succeeded, and was indeed thwarted by the heroics of the 20th Maine (led by Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain), the real turning point of the second day was the failure of Longstreet's men to break through the Union line just south of Cemetery Ridge at dusk--largely due to the long forgotten suicide charge of the Union's 1st Minnesota (who don't appear in Shaara's novel or the film). 

The near-success of Longstreet's corps (which ultimately was staved-off by the Union because of fatigue, loss of daylight, and due to communication issues among Confederate reserve units--if only someone had a cellphone!) was precisely why Lee attempted to do the same thing again on the third day with the infamous Pickett's Charge.  This is the very moment, perhaps, when the South lost all chance to defeat the Union army and end the war in victory (a negotiated surrender).  Lee was not making a "chips all in" move of desperation.  Rather, in light of the Napoleonic tactics of the day, he was attempting to exploit a weakness in the Union line which gave way the day previous.  The South had come very close to victory and following up was the obvious thing to do.  As for the manner in which the orders for the third day were executed, well, that is a different matter.

Guelzo also contends that it was Union general John Reynolds (a capable Pennsylvanian, who did not want to see foraging Confederate Army rob the people of Pennsylvania blind), who advanced on his own initiative to Gettysburg to engage Lee, which, in turn, forced the newly appointed and cautious Union commander George Meade to likewise advance with the entire Union army from his defensive position along Pipe Creek in Maryland.  Meade, reluctantly at first, marched the Army of the Potomac more than thirty miles up the now well-known roads from the south to north to prevent Lee from overwhelming Reynold's First Corps at Gettysburg, along with the two corps following him (Howard's and Slocumb's). 

Reynolds, as you may know, was killed early on the first day (a major loss to any army when a corps commander is killed).  Lee very nearly defeated the discombobulated Union Army seriatim as the three Union corps advanced one by one, trying in vain to get into position to prevent the Rebels from occupying the town.  Since Meade had seven corps, however, it was only a matter of time before the Union armies occupied Cemetery Ridge and took up defensive positions, which meant it was Lee who would be forced to attack, not Meade.

Guelzo's treatment of the famous Lee-Longstreet spat over battle tactics (on days two and three) is also insightful.  What amounted to a difference of opinion on the day of battle, became a full-fledged feud after the war only because of the wounded pride and fierce loyalty of those who served together under these two generals--even though there was no major dust-up between Lee and Longstreet on the day of battle as claimed.  The blame game often distorts the historical record, as it has here.

Guelzo's discussion of the plight of the civilians of Gettysburg, who were so terribly impacted by the battle which landed on top of them, reveals much about an important though overlooked element of the battle.  Can you imagine having 80,000 men land in your small town, killing each other, stealing your food and property, and then leaving their dead and wounded men and animals behind?  Barns and fences, field crops and orchards, were completely destroyed.  The citizens of Gettysburg suffered as much as the armies did--perhaps more. 

I had no idea Union scouts could identify and track the Confederate Army from distance simply by smell.  The point is gross enough, but speaks to the fighting readiness and condition of Lee's Army of Northern Virginia in July of 1863.  It is utterly remarkable the Confederates fought as well, and relentlessly as they did, when they were so ill-equipped for an invasion.

Simply put, Allen Guelzo's Gettysburg a great read, and I highly recommend it.  I'm thankful we have another book on Gettysburg--especially this one.

Order it here:  Gettysburg

The OC -- A New Burned-Over District? Part Four -- Robert Schuller and the Crystal Cathedral

Calvary Chapel may have created most of the Christian "buzz" in the OC, but surely the OC's most famous church is Robert Schuller's Crystal Cathedral.  The sheer scale and grandeur of the Cathedral dominates the heart of the OC.  In an area with few tall buildings, the Crystal Cathedral is clearly visible from three of the freeways which pass through central Orange County.

In one sense, the Crystal Cathedral and Robert Schuller were not really part of the OC "buzz."  Schuller's message of "self-esteem," and the Cathedral's highbrow manner of worship, were much more typical of the Protestant mainline than the evangelical and charismatic churches which did generate local buzz.  But if you had family coming to town from the Midwest or the East Coast, they wanted to see the Crystal Cathedral and they knew all about Robert Schuller, even if they had never heard of the two "Chucks" (Smith or Swindoll) who were much more appreciated by the local evangelicals.

Robert Schuller first arrived in the OC shortly after I did (1955).  He came by car, I came by stork.  He began preaching to people in their cars from the roof of the snack bar of the Orange Drive-In theater.  The place was soon packed.  Schuller went on to build the Tower of Hope in 1968, and by 1970, Schuller's "Hour of Power" was the most popular religious broadcast in the United States.  In 1978, work began on the now world famous glass cathedral.  It was the perfect stage for Schuller's psychologized message.  I'll bet that the Hour of Power brought more people to Southern California than anything but the Rose Parade.  The Cathedral was the perfect OC showcase.  His was the perfect message for an affluent middle class growing tired of their local stucco church, boring sermons, and "Erma," the kindly but elderly organist attempting to play the offertory correctly just one time before going to glory.

Schuller's pulpit (or better "stage") was turned over to countless celebrities ranging from Dodger manager Tommy Lasorda to former Russian President Mikhail Gorbachev, all of whom were willing to endorse Schuller's non-gospel of "Possibility Thinking." 

The Cathedral was the stage for the elaborate pageants, "the Glory of Christmas" and the "Glory of Easter."  Ironically, it was the church's inability to pay the vendors and animal handlers which led to the local bankruptcy courts.  The Cathedral was also home to a magnificent 16,000 pipe Ruffatti organ capably manned for many years by Frederick Swann.  Famed pianist Roger Williams played there for thirty years.  The contrast between the worship services of the Crystal Cathedral and the CCM of Calvary Chapel could not be greater!  One local wag spoke of the difference between the two churches as the "Jesus People versus the Blue Hairs."  Maybe the real battle of style was more like OP versus Amway. 

Lest we forget, the Crystal Cathedral was also home to a congregation affiliated with the Reformed Church of America.  The consistory of the church was distinct from the Hour of Power which had its own governing board.  It was common to hear Schuller's church members defend him by arguing that the Hour of Power broadcast and was not representative of the life of the congregation, and that the church not only had many Bible studies, but the Heidelberg Catechism was taught and revered.  But, as we all know, the message you use to draw people in is what they want, and what keeps them attending.  The claim that the Hour of Power brought in seekers who were subsequently catechized rings hollow.  I do know of people, however, who did indeed study the Heidelberg Catechism there.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I attended the Evangelical Free Church of Fullerton for several years, and even joined the church.  But I never actually met Chuck Swindoll.  I did shake his hand once at a wedding--but that doesn't really count.  I attended Calvary Chapel a number of times but never met Chuck Smith, or anyone else of note (like Lonnie Frisbee or Greg Laurie).  I have only been to the Crystal Cathedral one time (for my son's high school graduation), but have met and actually spoken with Robert Schuller on several occasions. 

The first time I met Dr. Schuller was at Mike Horton's home shortly before Schuller's infamous appearance on the White Horse Inn.  It was not a pleasant experience.  Dinner conversation was cordial enough, although the name dropping got old.  "I was talking with `Bev' the other day" he said, thinking we knew he was referring to opera singer Beverly Sills.  So far as I knew, he was talking about his secretary.  "Oh, and Norman called," referring to General Schwarzkopf.  At that point, our Lutheran compatriot, Rod Rosenbladt, made a comment which was very apropos, but which I cannot repeat.

During the live broadcast later that evening, Schuller became very offended by Mike's line of questioning, and stormed out of the studio, on air, only to awkwardly rejoin the broadcast a few mintues later (after his aide insisted that he do so).  From this point on, things were not quite so cordial.  If you've heard the broadcast, you know what I mean.  You should have seen the debate that went on off-air during the breaks!  (You can get the audio here if you are interested--Robert Schuller on the White Horse Inn)

I have also been in the presence of the Schuller family on the occasion of a family member's wedding (which I conducted, and Dr. Schuller read from the Scriptures).  Never thought I'd live to see that day!  I must say, that I found the Schullers to be a godly Christian family, friendly, and hospitable--even during the middle of the recent legal woes and the impending loss of the empire.  As is often the case with celebrities, the public figure is much different than the private person.  On this occasion, Dr. Schuller was simply "grandpa," enjoying an important day in the life of his family. 

The remarkable irony of Robert Schuller and the Crystal Cathedral is that he arrived here first (of all the famous OC preachers) and built one of the largest empires (TBN is bigger still).  The empire is now completely gone, going the way of "all flesh."  If Robert Schuller wasn't part of the "buzz" locally, nationally he was the best known pastor from the OC.  Now as an old man, he must watch from the outside as his beloved Cathedral becomes "Christ Cathedral," home to the OC's Catholic diocese.  But this is the likely outcome of any ministry built on personality, a passing fad ("possibility thinking"), and a glitz equal to any Hollywood production. 

As the Cathedral's problems increased, the Vatican, apparently, had also been engaged in their own version of "possibility thinking."  When the OC bankruptcy court dictated that the church property be sold to pay off the numerous creditors, Rome was ready, willing, and able, to cut the multi-million dollar check. 

The Hour of Power has given way to many hours of priestcraft and popery.  Seems that Schuller's "new Reformation" of self-esteem didn't turn out so well in the end.

Next time, we'll consider the Bible teachers and Apologists (people like Walter Martin) who contributed significantly to the OC "buzz."  Part Five: The Bible Teachers

Here's the introduction to this series:  Introduction

Here's part one, "the buzz":  The "Buzz"

Here's part two, "TBN":  TBN

Here's part three, "Calvary Chapel":   Calvary Chapel

"Christ Has Been Raised" -- 1 Corinthians 15:12-34

The Twenty-Ninth in a Series of Sermons on 1 Corinthians

Imagine the shock and sheer panic you would feel upon hearing news that the body of Jesus had been found in a tomb somewhere near the city of Jerusalem, and that the remains were positively identified as those of the central figure of the New Testament.  What would your reaction be?  Fear?  Anger?  Would it even matter?  Would you still call yourself a Christian?  While no one is going to find the body of Jesus in a tomb near Jerusalem because Jesus was raised from the dead the first Easter, nevertheless, the question is an important one because it pushes us to face a more fundamental question.  How do we know that Christianity is true?  Why are you a Christian?  And why does any of this really matter?

Having spent considerable time working our way through Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth, we come to 1 Corinthians 15, one of the most important chapters in all the Bible.  I speak of 1 Corinthians 15 as an especially important chapter because it is here that Paul defines the gospel (vv. 1-11), that Paul addresses the fact of the resurrection (vv. 12-19), that Paul speaks of the relationship between the second coming of Jesus Christ and the bodily resurrection of believers (vv. 20-28), that Paul speaks of the relationship between our Lord’s bodily resurrection to the Christian life (vv. 29-34), before he takes up the subject of the nature of the resurrection body in verses 35-56.  What makes this particular chapter so important is that all of these topics are foundational to Christianity, and all of these topics are the object of attack from those outside the church, or else subject to much confusion within the church.  This is what makes understanding this chapter so important.

Last time we dealt with the opening verses of chapter 15 (vv. 1-11) in which Paul defines the gospel in terms of those historical facts associated with the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, according to the Scriptures.  This is the gospel which Paul preached and which the Corinthians believed.  It was this gospel which established the church in Corinth as well as churches elsewhere.  To preach the Christian gospel is to proclaim these facts to both Christians and non-Christians alike in such a way that everyone understands we are making a truth claim (i.e., that Christianity is true and all other religions are false), and that we are speaking about our salvation being accomplished for us by Jesus Christ in ordinary human history through the shedding of blood (which is rh typable), on a Roman cross (which would have given you splinters if you rubbed your hand across it).  The gospel itself is a truth claim.

We also know that Jesus was raised from the dead the first Easter because the tomb in which he had been buried was empty despite a huge stone which sealed the tomb’s entrance, and despite the fact that the Romans placed a guard on the tomb.  We also know that Jesus was raised from the dead because the risen Jesus appeared visibly to all the apostles, to over five hundred people at one time, and then finally to Paul, who considered himself completely unworthy of such an honor.  Paul not only appeals to the fact that he himself saw the resurrected Jesus while traveling on the road to Damascus, Paul also appeals to the fact that most of the five hundred people who saw Jesus were still alive–the implication being that the Corinthians knew who many of these people were, and that the events associated with the gospel were not only true, they were common knowledge. 

The Christian faith therefore is a public faith.  It is based upon certain historical facts which if true, establish Christianity as the only true and viable religion, and which if false (i.e., these things did not happen) then Christianity cannot be true no matter how many people claim to be followers of Jesus.

To read the rest of this sermon:  Click Here

"The Lord Was With Joseph" -- Genesis 39:1-23

Here's the audio from Rev. Compton's morning sermon.  Click Here