Fourth Year Ministries

Jesus said, "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill." (Matthew 5:17) Jesus came to fulfill the Law. Not to abolish, not to discard it, not to do away with it. To fulfill it. Paul understood this. We must also. The Apostle Paul wrote to the saints in Colossae: Therefore, no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day-- things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ. (Colossians 2:16-17) The dietary guidelines had a purpose. So did the festivals and Sabbaths. They were a shadow of what is to come. They pointed to the substance which belongs to Christ. These aspects of the Law were given for a purpose. They revealed in shadow what was coming in the future. They were prophetic. In fact, they still are. Christ has fulfilled much of the Law and Prophets in His first coming. Christ was born according...

Q: Hi again! I have always thought that demons were the fallen angels, but in Jude 6 it says: [6] And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. (NIV) So, I'm thinking I was wrong because it says they are bound - so, what are demons if they are not angels, or are they? A: This is a great question. We have attempted to address most of the main theories for who or what demons are in a previous post on demons . Those interested in our best attempt to answer the question, "so, what are demons if they are not angels, or are they?" should go and read that previous post first. I like to see your theological reasoning in play and that you are willing to assess your previous assumptions (in this case, that demons are fallen angels). We all bring presuppositions to the text of Scripture that influence our reading. Not all of these assump...

Question - Dear Pastors, Matthew 16:27 refers to rewards given to believers according to what they have done. Scripture is clear that salvation is not contingent upon works. Therefore, Jesus must be speaking of heavenly rewards. Why are we rewarded? What rewards can some people expect? Answer - Good question. If I'm reading your question correctly, you are asking why we would be rewarded or repaid for the deeds or works that we do in this life. And, secondly, what rewards we can expect. I'm not sure I can find a given list of rewards that we may receive in Heaven anywhere in scripture. I believe that is for a reason. I will speak to that a little later. First, let's look at what Jesus said in Matthew 16:27 - "For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and WILL THEN REPAY EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS." (NASB) Take a look at the context in which Jesus was speaking these words. It is not necessarily heavenly rewar...

Q: In Matthew 17:10-13 they talk about John the Baptist being Elijah and needing to come again before Jesus did. I can't wrap my mind around this idea since it seems like reincarnation which I know God doesn't do (at least that I know of!). Can you explain? A: Excellent question! I love that you are attempting to get at the meaning of the text, and what it seems to be saying is contrary to your understanding of the overall teaching of the Bible ... so what's the deal? It's true that some mistakenly arrive at the idea that Jesus taught reincarnation. Some think there were some secret teachings of Jesus that reveal Jesus believed in and taught reincarnation of souls. These so-called secret teachings of Jesus are based on writings of a group known as the "Gnostics." Do not be misled by Gnostic teaching. The New Testament speaks clearly against this group of heretics that arose shortly after Jesus' ascension to heaven. O Timothy, guard what has been...

For Part 1, please click here . Q: W hat biblical references support pre tribulation and which ones support post tribulation? If you care to give us your personal thoughts on the matter, that would be okay too. We have friends in both camps. A: The purpose in this second part will be to interact more with the Scriptural reasons why I hold to my particular view of the Rapture and Christ's return as opposed to other possible views. You may be persuaded by my reasoning and you may not (both are okay). My hope is that it will encourage you to think through these issues in a biblical fashion and cause you to examine your view more carefully in light of the Scriptures. If you believe I've left out some important passage(s), please feel free to add your thoughts in the comments section. Here's an overview of my understanding of the Bible's teaching on this matter before we get into the details. 1. I believe Christ will come back physically and visibly, in the sam...

Q: What biblical references support pre tribulation and which ones support post tribulation? If you care to give us your personal thoughts on the matter, that would be okay too. We have friends in both camps. A: This is a great question. It's also a huge question. As I've been praying and thinking about how to answer, it seems that there is no short way to answer the question and still be faithful to those who hold a different view. This is one of those questions that genuine Christians who love and serve the Lord can reasonably disagree on, in my opinion. The timing of the return of Christ is difficult to determine (unless you're Harold Camping , that is...) and there are actually several more "camps" than the question alludes to. Within the Premillennial camp, there are those who hold to a pre- and post-tribulation Rapture of the Church, as well as those who believe in a mid-tribulation Rapture. However, not all Christians are Premillennial. There are...