Disciple Dojo

This is a weekly half-hour Bible study of the book of Exodus that JM Smith leads at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse in Charlotte, NC (where the owner is gracious enough to provide both the space and the lunch!). The purpose of the study is to walk through books of the Bible chapter-by-chapter in order to build a solid Biblical foundational worldview and to be challenged by the ancient text in our modern lives. Each week is recorded and video of each session is availabe at www.youtube.com/user/discipledojo/videos For more information on this and other Disciple Dojo studies, be sure to visit www.facebook.com/discipledojo

This is a weekly half-hour Bible study of the book of Exodus that JM Smith leads at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse in Charlotte, NC (where the owner is gracious enough to provide both the space and the lunch!). The purpose of the study is to walk through books of the Bible chapter-by-chapter in order to build a solid Biblical foundational worldview and to be challenged by the ancient text in our modern lives. Each week is recorded and video of each session is availabe at www.youtube.com/user/discipledojo/videos For more information on this and other Disciple Dojo studies, be sure to visit www.facebook.com/discipledojo

Are we living in the “End Times”? When is the “Millennium”? What about the “Great Tribulation”? Who or what is the “Antichrist”? Should Christians always support the nation of Israel in order not to be “cursed”? These are questions that many popular authors and teachers have made millions off of attempting to answer through intricate colorful background charts, or fictional novels and video games. But when it comes to what the Bible actually teaches about the “End Times”, too many people rely on a passage here or there paired with some current event headline by a preacher on television, radio, or online. The result is a mass of confusion among Christians (and the wider culture as well!) over these things. Often, sensationalist voices carry the day and people view “the apocalypse” as something that will inevitably involve nuclear war, massive famine, a one-world government, and smooth-talking leaders forcing everyone to get microchips or tattoos on their foreheads and hands! But does the Bible itself actually teach ANY of this? In “Apocalypse Now?? What the Bible says about the End Times”, JM Smith guides students through the entire Bible and traces the overall themes and key points Scripture actually addresses. Offering a candid, yet charitable appraisal of various eschatological views Christians have held throughout history, “Apocalypse Now??” seeks to allow the listener to survey the positions and form their own coherent approach that takes into account the contextual background of the Bible’s end times message. The entire course is available to stream or download via the links below. It is also available in audio CD format for those who prefer a hard copy or would like to give it as a gift to anyone they know who is interested in the subject of “End Times”! Course Index: Week 1 – A Survey of The End Times Week 2 – The Origin of Dispensationalism Week 3 – Should Rapture Theology Be Left Behind? Week 4 – So What DO Most Christians Believe Then? Week 5 – God’s Plan From the Beginning Week 6 – The Prophets and End Times Week 7 – Introducing “Apocalyptic” Writings Week 8 – What Jesus says about the End Times Week 9 – What the NT Writers Say About the End Time Week 10 – Heaven, Hell, Judgement & New Creation

This is a weekly half-hour Bible study of the book of Exodus that JM Smith leads at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse in Charlotte, NC (where the owner is gracious enough to provide both the space and the lunch!). The purpose of the study is to walk through books of the Bible chapter-by-chapter in order to build a solid Biblical foundational worldview and to be challenged by the ancient text in our modern lives. Each week is recorded and video of each session is availabe at http://www.youtube.com/user/discipledojo/videos For more information on this and other Disciple Dojo studies, be sure to visit http://www.facebook.com/discipledojo

Are we living in the “End Times”? When is the “Millennium”? What about the “Great Tribulation”? Who or what is the “Antichrist”? Should Christians always support the nation of Israel in order not to be “cursed”? These are questions that many popular authors and teachers have made millions off of attempting to answer through intricate colorful background charts, or fictional novels and video games. But when it comes to what the Bible actually teaches about the “End Times”, too many people rely on a passage here or there paired with some current event headline by a preacher on television, radio, or online. The result is a mass of confusion among Christians (and the wider culture as well!) over these things. Often, sensationalist voices carry the day and people view “the apocalypse” as something that will inevitably involve nuclear war, massive famine, a one-world government, and smooth-talking leaders forcing everyone to get microchips or tattoos on their foreheads and hands! But does the Bible itself actually teach ANY of this? In “Apocalypse Now?? What the Bible says about the End Times”, JM Smith guides students through the entire Bible and traces the overall themes and key points Scripture actually addresses. Offering a candid, yet charitable appraisal of various eschatological views Christians have held throughout history, “Apocalypse Now??” seeks to allow the listener to survey the positions and form their own coherent approach that takes into account the contextual background of the Bible’s end times message. The entire course is available to stream or download via the links below. It is also available in audio CD format for those who prefer a hard copy or would like to give it as a gift to anyone they know who is interested in the subject of “End Times”! Course Index: Week 1 – A Survey of The End Times Week 2 – The Origin of Dispensationalism Week 3 – Should Rapture Theology Be Left Behind? Week 4 – So What DO Most Christians Believe Then? Week 5 – God’s Plan From the Beginning Week 6 – The Prophets and End Times Week 7 – Introducing “Apocalyptic” Writings Week 8 – What Jesus says about the End Times Week 9 – What the NT Writers Say About the End Time Week 10 – Heaven, Hell, Judgement & New Creation

This year I was invited to come speak to the breakfast gathering of the evangelical movement within the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church. So naturally...I decided to speak on why I think John Wesley got one of his most famous sayings wrong! :) Enjoy!

Are we living in the “End Times”? When is the “Millennium”? What about the “Great Tribulation”? Who or what is the “Antichrist”? Should Christians always support the nation of Israel in order not to be “cursed”? These are questions that many popular authors and teachers have made millions off of attempting to answer through intricate colorful background charts, or fictional novels and video games. But when it comes to what the Bible actually teaches about the “End Times”, too many people rely on a passage here or there paired with some current event headline by a preacher on television, radio, or online. The result is a mass of confusion among Christians (and the wider culture as well!) over these things. Often, sensationalist voices carry the day and people view “the apocalypse” as something that will inevitably involve nuclear war, massive famine, a one-world government, and smooth-talking leaders forcing everyone to get microchips or tattoos on their foreheads and hands! But does the Bible itself actually teach ANY of this? In “Apocalypse Now?? What the Bible says about the End Times”, JM Smith guides students through the entire Bible and traces the overall themes and key points Scripture actually addresses. Offering a candid, yet charitable appraisal of various eschatological views Christians have held throughout history, “Apocalypse Now??” seeks to allow the listener to survey the positions and form their own coherent approach that takes into account the contextual background of the Bible’s end times message. The entire course is available to stream or download via the links below. It is also available in audio CD format for those who prefer a hard copy or would like to give it as a gift to anyone they know who is interested in the subject of “End Times”! Course Index: Week 1 – A Survey of The End Times Week 2 – The Origin of Dispensationalism Week 3 – Should Rapture Theology Be Left Behind? Week 4 – So What DO Most Christians Believe Then? Week 5 – God’s Plan From the Beginning Week 6 – The Prophets and End Times Week 7 – Introducing “Apocalyptic” Writings Week 8 – What Jesus says about the End Times Week 9 – What the NT Writers Say About the End Time Week 10 – Heaven, Hell, Judgement & New Creation

Are we living in the “End Times”? When is the “Millennium”? What about the “Great Tribulation”? Who or what is the “Antichrist”? Should Christians always support the nation of Israel in order not to be “cursed”? These are questions that many popular authors and teachers have made millions off of attempting to answer through intricate colorful background charts, or fictional novels and video games. But when it comes to what the Bible actually teaches about the “End Times”, too many people rely on a passage here or there paired with some current event headline by a preacher on television, radio, or online. The result is a mass of confusion among Christians (and the wider culture as well!) over these things. Often, sensationalist voices carry the day and people view “the apocalypse” as something that will inevitably involve nuclear war, massive famine, a one-world government, and smooth-talking leaders forcing everyone to get microchips or tattoos on their foreheads and hands! But does the Bible itself actually teach ANY of this? In “Apocalypse Now?? What the Bible says about the End Times”, JM Smith guides students through the entire Bible and traces the overall themes and key points Scripture actually addresses. Offering a candid, yet charitable appraisal of various eschatological views Christians have held throughout history, “Apocalypse Now??” seeks to allow the listener to survey the positions and form their own coherent approach that takes into account the contextual background of the Bible’s end times message. The entire course is available to stream or download via the links below. It is also available in audio CD format for those who prefer a hard copy or would like to give it as a gift to anyone they know who is interested in the subject of “End Times”! Course Index: Week 1 – A Survey of The End Times Week 2 – The Origin of Dispensationalism Week 3 – Should Rapture Theology Be Left Behind? Week 4 – So What DO Most Christians Believe Then? Week 5 – God’s Plan From the Beginning Week 6 – The Prophets and End Times Week 7 – Introducing “Apocalyptic” Writings Week 8 – What Jesus says about the End Times Week 9 – What the NT Writers Say About the End Time Week 10 – Heaven, Hell, Judgement & New Creation

Are we living in the “End Times”? When is the “Millennium”? What about the “Great Tribulation”? Who or what is the “Antichrist”? Should Christians always support the nation of Israel in order not to be “cursed”? These are questions that many popular authors and teachers have made millions off of attempting to answer through intricate colorful background charts, or fictional novels and video games. But when it comes to what the Bible actually teaches about the “End Times”, too many people rely on a passage here or there paired with some current event headline by a preacher on television, radio, or online. The result is a mass of confusion among Christians (and the wider culture as well!) over these things. Often, sensationalist voices carry the day and people view “the apocalypse” as something that will inevitably involve nuclear war, massive famine, a one-world government, and smooth-talking leaders forcing everyone to get microchips or tattoos on their foreheads and hands! But does the Bible itself actually teach ANY of this? In “Apocalypse Now?? What the Bible says about the End Times”, JM Smith guides students through the entire Bible and traces the overall themes and key points Scripture actually addresses. Offering a candid, yet charitable appraisal of various eschatological views Christians have held throughout history, “Apocalypse Now??” seeks to allow the listener to survey the positions and form their own coherent approach that takes into account the contextual background of the Bible’s end times message. The entire course is available to stream or download via the links below. It is also available in audio CD format for those who prefer a hard copy or would like to give it as a gift to anyone they know who is interested in the subject of “End Times”! Course Index: Week 1 – A Survey of The End Times Week 2 – The Origin of Dispensationalism Week 3 – Should Rapture Theology Be Left Behind? Week 4 – So What DO Most Christians Believe Then? Week 5 – God’s Plan From the Beginning Week 6 – The Prophets and End Times Week 7 – Introducing “Apocalyptic” Writings Week 8 – What Jesus says about the End Times Week 9 – What the NT Writers Say About the End Time Week 10 – Heaven, Hell, Judgement & New Creation

The book of Revelation is filed with numbers and symbolic imagery...which has led to much speculation over the centuries by interested (and imaginiative!) readers. One number that has generated a good bit of speculation is the "144,000" from the tribes of Israel John sees in his vision. Who are these people? End times believers? Jews who come to faith during the Tribulation? Or something else entirely?