About Me
Name: Lynda O
Location: Tennessee
Beliefs: Christian, Calvinist, Premillennial, Dispensational, and a Biblical Creationist. Above all I believe what the Bible teaches, rather than adhere to man-made systems of doctrine. Calvinist and Dispensational are the names that best describe what the Bible teaches and I believe.
I work full-time as a computer programmer, and write this blog as a hobby, an extension of my personal Bible Studies.
This blog reflects my scripture thoughts from whatever I’m studying. Here I chronicle my thoughts from daily Bible reading (I follow a modified Horner Bible Reading plan of 8 lists, 12-14 chapters per day from different genres) and thoughts from general Bible study. I enjoy listening to MP3 sermons from S. Lewis Johnson (and other audio sermons on the Believer’s Chapel Dallas website), and reading sermons and books from great Christian preachers including J.C. Ryle, C.H. Spurgeon, and John MacArthur.
Blogs I frequent :
I just discovered your website using Google and found your comments on Isaiah 65 helpful. I match your theological description (though I never heard of S. Lewis Johnson). My studies, this year have focused on the prophets, especially regarding the millennial kingdom and the eternal state.
I particularly wanted to ask if you can recommend a good Premillennial, Dispensational commentary on Zechariah. There are lots of good books at the bookstore of “Israel My Glory,” but they didn’t have anything on Zechariah…and I think that is a very important book to understand.
Thanks for any help that you can give. – Alex
Hi Alex,
I haven’t read any of these myself, but would recommend S. Lewis Johnson’s sermon series through Zechariah (which I’ll be listening to in the next few months, now that I’m starting through the many sermon series that he did in the minor prophets).
The Precept Austin website lists several commentaries for Zechariah http://preceptaustin.org/zechariah_commentaries.htm, including several it recommends (and a few to avoid). I would look specifically at the commentary available from Charles Feinberg –God Remembers: A Study of Zechariah. Feinberg’s material is available for a $50 annual fee for online access, while most of the commentaries listed there (including ones from Thomas Constable, Barry Horner and others) are available at no cost.
Lynda
Thanks, Lynda. I realized that I was in a hurry and asked you for the wrong book of the Bible. I recently found a good commentary on Zechariah: “Zechariah: A Commentary on His Visions and Prophecies
By” David Baron. This I found through “Friends of Israel” (Israel My Glory) What I can not find is a good recommendation for a Premillenial Dispensational commentary on Ezekiel. I’ll keep those resources that you mentioned in mind. I already have Charles Feinberg on the Minor Prophets. I also get a lot from “The Bible Exposition Commentary”, (6 Volumes) By: Warren W. Wiersbe.
Thanks so much! – Alex
Hi, Lynda:
You don’t have to respond to this quick email; I just wanted to let you know I am excited about finding your site, as you seem interested in the topics I find fascinating and important, and it’s great to have access to your mind, and to those who contact you. I found your site when I was looking for Mark Hitchcock’s views on dispensationism vs. covenant theology. Happy New Year!
Jan
Hi, Lynda
I stumbled across your blog on wordpress while looking at others on eschatology. What you had to say was very interesting and I did enjoy reading some of your posts. You classify yourself as a Premillennial Dispensational-Calvinist and that cracks me up. I’m with you on it for sure theologically but most Calvinists I know (and that’s quite a lot) would not be caught dead being referred to as a Dispensationalist. I’m also a fellow programmer working just south of your location in Huntsville, AL. I just wanted to drop you a line and tell you that I enjoyed reading it and I will be back for more. If you get a chance pop over to my blog (http://willeng2surv.wordpress.com/) I would love to hear your thoughts – I’m always up for suggestive improvement.
Adam L.
Thanks for stopping by Adam — always nice to meet other like-minded believers. Just looked at your website, and those are some good, informative articles on Christian eschatology, so I’ll definitely add this to my list of resources.
Lynda
Thanks Lynda – I’m trying to write a basic intro guide to Bible prophecy for those that would like to understand what’s going on but find it too daunting a task to find out. Next up will be an exploration of the occult group – the Freemasons. I have family unfortunately involved in this group and they insist that it is a Christian organization. Keep up the good posting, I look forward to reading them.
Adam
Just found your blog here after seeing your Facebook page. Happy to see someone has referred you to David Baron and Charles Feinberg….Adolph Saphir is good also. He is kind of mentor to David Baron. And I’m delighted to see you are familiar with Paul Henebury’s excellent blog. You’ll have to message me the location of your pre-mil dispy calvinist church…..lol…..I’m in west TN also and am homeless, churchwise.
Thanks for stopping by Ed, and for the additional recommendation of David Baron and Adolph Saphir! I just sent you a FB message regarding churches in the region.
Regards,
Lynda
Hey Lynda! Two things:
1. Have you ever heard of the True Church Conference? It’s hosted by Grace Life Church of the Shoals in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, about a 2 hour drive from where I live in TN. In terms of price, I don’t know what they’ll be doing next year, but this year it was free for the first time. It’s held once a year, and this year’s has just come to a close, but it’s something I think you may be interested in attending if possible.
2. Have you ever listened to David Miller? I had heard of his ministry but I had only heard him preach for the first time at the conference, and he’s a great expositor of Scripture. He’s suffered from muscle atrophy which God has turned for his glory; he preaches from a wheel chair on memorized passages of Scripture without using a written Bible. His passion for the word is inspiring. It’s interesting because he once used to read through 16 chapters of Scriptures a day in order to complete the Bible every three months, similar to your plan.
Thanks, Raine! No, I’ve not heard of that conference, or David Miller. Just googled and found out about both, looks interesting. Don’t know that I would be able to attend due to my personal (family) circumstances, but it looks like a great conference and one not too far from here either. It’s also great to hear about others who have read through many chapters of the Bible per day on a regular basis, a great way to study and remember God’s word.
Either way, God will be glorified; so whether you can attend or get any resources or not I pray that God will keep you and make his face shine upon you. But I recommended them primarily because they’re Calvinistic and it seems premillenial. While a few people that I talked to at the conference were amillenial, and I’m faily certain one of the speakers were, Jeff Noblit, who hosts it, takes a literal approach to the Old Testament and it showed in the sermon he preached on the Gospel from Isa. 55. He emphasized its aim at Israel but also its implications for the Church, without confusing the two.
Thanks again, Raine. I’ve heard from a few others now, too, that Noblit is Calvinist / futurist / premillennial. I found his online sermon archive, including his Revelation series, and listened to some of an introductory lesson; good material.
Hi Lynda: I’m not sure if Dr. Bill Barrick studied under H. LaVern Schafer, but I do know he taught at San Francisco Theological Seminary with him. Here’s a book I would highly recommend: Maturing in Christ, by H. LaVern Schafer. He taught at Dispensational Theological Seminary for over 20 years here in Oregon until his death a couple of years ago. Another good book is: The Christian “In Christ” by David K. Spurbeck, who still teaches at the seminary. You can also get audio of the sermons by Spurbeck and others at Valley Baptist Church in Cherry Grove, OR. Jesus is coming soon!
Thanks for the recommendations, Richard! I’ll look up those books and the audio sermons.
Hello Lynda
I, like likeminded others have just bumbled onto your site. Lewis Johnson is indeed a great teacher. I listen to his mp3s daily. I am now going through his “basic” doctrine series, which is wonderful.
You say you’re a dispensationalist Calvinist. Wasn’t SL Johnson critical of some of the dispensationalist doctrines (of his teacher Sperry Chafer).
onedaringjew
Hi bography,
In regards to SL Johnson and dispensationalism — yes, he often noted Chafer’s weakness in doctrine: particularly regarding limited atonement, and the “classic dispensational” idea of two peoples of God. Yet Dr. Johnson always held high regard for Chafer as a great Christian man and what he had accomplished with the seminary, given Chafer’s background limitations.
By Calvinist dispensationalist I mean 5-point Calvinism and moderate dispensationalism, such as held by S. Lewis Johnson and current teachers such as John MacArthur and the Masters Seminary.
Lynda
Yes Lynda SLJ loved Chafer and often said that he looked forward to seeing him in heaven. What a great teacher is SLJ. I would say that I am one with SLJ except on one remark he made (I forget on which message); he said there will be more people in heaven than not, which I found odd. Not that I don’t wish that this would be so.
I don’t recall hearing that specific comment from SLJ (more people in heaven than hell), but well remember reading that idea from Spurgeon, in a sermon in which he explained it more in-depth. SLJ often quoted from Spurgeon, so it’s likely that he had similar reasoning as Spurgeon. See point #4 (page 3) in this Spurgeon sermon: http://www.spurgeongems.org/vols1-3/chs37.pdf
Like Bography, I had never considered that Heaven would outpopulate Hell–thinking along the lines “few there be who find it…” But I heard Alan Cairns a few years ago making the same point as Spurgeon does in the article you cite….and again, like your commenter, I would be thrilled to be wrong on this and find that Cairns and Spurgeon are correct.
Lynda, I think you might like the end of one of SL Johnson’s confernces:
http://onedaringjew.wordpress.com/2012/04/13/justification-he-has-unstinged-death/
Thanks, bography. Yes, great words from SLJ. I listened to his Bunyan Conference lectures not too long ago. Thanks for reminding me of that section; now I recall something about the shipwreck reference. As I’m sure you know, he often mentioned the Scottish theologians.