Kitchen Table Theology

“[The Antichrist] is going to appear very much like Christ because he's going to rise from the dead, he's going to declare that people worship him, he's going to make an idol of himself and people are going to worship it. He counterfeits Christ at every turn. Many people will be fooled thinking he is the real Christ.” - Pastor Jeff Cranston 

Welcome to Kitchen Table Theology! Pastor Jeff and Jen Denton continue our series on Eschatology. Previously we’ve defined our terms, we’ve covered the rapture, and today we’re continuing our conversation on the tribulation. 

[00:01] A Recap on What We Last Discussed 

• The Tribulation is the 7 year time period in the end times in which humanity's decadence and depravity will reach its fullness, all while being led by the Antichrist. At the close of the 7 year period, God will judge accordingly which will lead to the Second Coming of Christ

[02:55] The Seven Year Tribulation Period 

• How does the Tribulation Period begin? 
  • It will begin with the signing of a covenant by the beast/antichrist, who promises to protect Israel (Matt 24-25)
  • The rapture does not begin the tribulation
• God will pour out His wrath on an unbelieving world
• Believers are going to stand before the judgment seat of Christ (2 Cor 5:10)
  • This has nothing to do with salvation  

[11:20] What Other Things Take Place in the Tribulation? 

• The marriage supper of the Lamb (Rev 19:7) 
• Christ will return physically to earth, to render judgment and inaugurate the Millennial Kingdom
• Jesus will judge Jews and Gentiles (Matt 25) 

[13:17] The Beast/Antichrist 

• The Antichrist is coming (1 John 2:18)
• He is a counterfeit Christ. The ultimate embodiment of what is means to oppose Christ
• The Antichrist according to Scripture 

[20:01] Closing Segment 

• Closing words

Key Quotes

“The Tribulation will involve God's judgment on an unbelieving world.” - Pastor Jeff Cranston 

“God has brought you into His family through the blood of Christ, which has been appropriated in your life. What we as believers will be judged on is what you did for Christ after you came to faith in Him.” - Pastor Jeff Cranston

Resources Mentioned

• 090 Eschatology: The Tribulation, Part 1

Join the Conversation

We love your feedback! If you enjoyed this episode, leave us a review. If you have any questions or comments on today’s episode, email me at [email protected]

Visit my website https://www.jeffcranston.com and subscribe to my newsletter. Join me on Sunday mornings at LowCountry Community Church. 

Check-in with us on Facebook or Instagram @pastorjeffcranston

Remember, the real power of theology is not only knowing it but applying it. Thanks for listening!

“The Tribulation is the seven-year period in the end times in which humanity's decadence and depravity will reach its fullness. All will be led by the Antichrist or the beast, who will be under the power and influence of Satan, himself. But eventually, at the close of that seven-year period, God will judge accordingly.”  - Jen Denton 

Happy New Year, Kitchen Table Theology Family! In our first episode of 2022, Pastor Jeff and Jen Denton continue our series on Eschatology. Previously we’ve defined our terms, we’ve covered the rapture, and today we’re covering the tribulation. 

[00:01] Introduction

• What follows the rapture is the tribulation 

[04:30] What Is The Tribulation? 

• The period of time between the Lord's return for His church and His second coming to earth
• The purpose of the seven-year period of tribulation 
• Significant events due to take place during the tribulation period
  •  An intensive evangelistic ministry (Matt 24:14) 
  • God will begin again to deal with Israel 

[09:36] When Will The Tribulation Happen?

• From the church's rapture to the Lord second coming to earth (Matt 24:29-31)
• Understanding the timeline of the tribulation (Daniel 9:24-27) 
  • The Anointed One will be killed 
  • The temple is destroyed 
  • 483 years after the decree to rebuild Jerusalem, the Messiah will be cut off
  • The Antichrist or beast will place an image of himself in the temple and is going to require the world to worship Him (Rev 13)  

[19:56] Who is The Antichrist?

• During the future tribulation period, the world will be ruled by a godless man presiding over an evil governmental system (Rev 13) 
• What scripture says about the antichrist or the beast
• The beast will be revealed only when God removes the restraining influence of the Holy Spirit from Earth (2 Thes 2) 

[25:30] Closing Segment

• Closing words

Key Quotes

“The end of all doctrine is to lead it to the knowledge of God and to the worship of God.” - David Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Join the Conversation

We love your feedback! If you enjoyed this episode, leave us a review. If you have any questions or comments on today’s episode, email me at [email protected]

Visit my website https://www.jeffcranston.com and subscribe to my newsletter. Join me on Sunday mornings at LowCountry Community Church. 

Check-in with us on Facebook or Instagram @pastorjeffcranston

Remember, the real power of theology is not only knowing it but applying it. Thanks for listening!

“God will use the sound of the trumpet to gather His people for the ultimate assembling together, the rapture of the church, to meet the Lord in the air.” - Pastor Jeff Cranston

Happy New Year, Kitchen Table Theology Family! In our first episode of 2022, Pastor Jeff and Jen Denton continue our series on Eschatology. Last time we defined our terms and in today's episode, we discuss The Rapture. 

[00:01] Introduction

• Chatting about the New Year 
• A recap of our last podcast on Eschatology 

[04:30] What is the Rapture?

• Rapture means a state or an experience of being carried away 
• Who will participate in the rapture? 
  • Jesus 
  • The Ark Angel 
  • The bodies of passed and living believers (1 Thess 4) 
• The difference between The Rapture and The Second Coming 

[10:54] The role of Trumpets and Angels in the Rapture

• Why the Bible teaches that the rapture is pretribulational in nature 
• No mention of the Church on earth in the Tribulation (Rev 6-19) 
• What does the trumpet mean in the rapture? (1 Cor 15, 1 Thes 4, Rev 4) 
  • to summon into battle
  • to summon to worship 
• Trumpets calling angels 
• The meaning of trumpets in the old testament
  • In the rapture only one tr (Num 10:4)
• Trumpets play a significant role in God calling His people 

[25:58] Closing Segment

• This episode is brought to you by Your Greatest Adventure and Happily Ever After by Pastor Jeff Cranston 
• Closing words

Key Quotes

“Bible doctrine without love is a shadow of truth. Doctrine held in love is very truth and we dare not allow ourselves to be satisfied with anything less.”- A W. Tozer 

“At the rapture, the trumpet or the trump of God is significant. In the Old Testament, that trumpet was used for two things, to summon into battle, and to summon to worship.” - J. Dwight Pentecost 

Resources 

• Things to Come: A Study in Biblical Eschatology by J. Dwight Pentecost 
• Pick up Your Greatest Adventure and Happily Ever After by Pastor Jeff Cranston 

Join the Conversation

We love your feedback! If you enjoyed this episode, leave us a review. If you have any questions or comments on today’s episode, email me at [email protected]

Visit my website https://www.jeffcranston.com and subscribe to my newsletter. Join me on Sunday mornings at LowCountry Community Church. 

Check-in with us on Facebook or Instagram @pastorjeffcranston

Remember, the real power of theology is not only knowing it but applying it. Thanks for listening!

Hello Kitchen Table Theology Family! Pastor Jeff and Jen will be taking a break for the holidays and will be back on January 9. We hope you have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! When we come back, we’ll continue in our Eschatology series. 

Join the Conversation

We love your feedback! If you enjoyed this episode, leave us a review. If you have any questions or comments on today’s episode, email me at [email protected]

Visit my website https://www.jeffcranston.com and subscribe to my newsletter. Join me on Sunday mornings at LowCountry Community Church. 

Check-in with us on Facebook or Instagram @pastorjeffcranston

Remember, the real power of theology is not only knowing it but applying it. Thanks for listening!

“How we comprehend and view eschatology affects how we conduct our lives, and what we may expect to happen in the overall plan of God.” - Pastor Jeff Cranston  

Merry Christmas Kitchen Table Theology Family! In this episode, Pastor Jeff and Jen Denton kick off a new series on the End Times or Eschatology. We define our terms and give an overlay of everything that will be discussed in the next few episodes.

[00:01] Introduction

• Email [email protected] with your questions on the end times 
• Recalling end-times predictors that made international news 
• Eschatology is a popular topic, but a very often misunderstood one as well 
  • The contention on the rapture 

[04:55] What is Eschatology?

• The study of what the Bible says is going to happen in the end times
• How we comprehend and view eschatology affects how we conduct our lives and understand the overall plan of God
• How we should NOT study eschatology 
  • We should be so fixated on the future, that we ignore the present
• How eschatology can help our Christian walk 

[08:38] A Biblical Grounding on the End Times

• As Christians, we have a future beyond the pain of this world (Titus 2:11-15)
• The Rapture, we can define is an instantaneous gathering-up of the whole church from the earth to meet Christ in the air and be with Him forever (1 Thes 4:13)
• The Second Coming, Rapture, Tribulation

[17:11] Understanding the Millenium 

• The 1000 year period in which Christ will reign on earth and fulfill the Abrahamic, Davidic, and New Covenant 
• Premillennialism andPostmillennialism 

[21:22] Understanding the Rapture

• Pre Tribulation -  the rapture will occur before the beginning of a seven-year tribulation period, while the second coming will occur at the end of it
• Mid Tribulation - the view that the rapture will take place at that three and a half year point
• Post Tribulation - a view that the rapture will coincide with the second coming of Christ at the end of the tribulation

[26:23] Closing Segment

• This episode is brought to you by Your Greatest Adventure and Happily Ever After by Pastor Jeff Cranston 
• Closing words and Christmas chats! 

Key Quotes

“Eschatology unfolds the prophetic program that God has for humanity, for Israel, for the church, and for the entire created order of the universe.” - Pastor Jeff Cranston 

“It's unhealthy for us if we were to have such a fixation on the future, that we ignore the present.” - Pastor Jeff Cranston 

Join the Conversation

We love your feedback! If you enjoyed this episode, leave us a review. If you have any questions or comments on today’s episode, email me at [email protected]

Visit my website https://www.jeffcranston.com and subscribe to my newsletter. Join me on Sunday mornings at LowCountry Community Church. 

Check-in with us on Facebook or Instagram @pastorjeffcranston

Remember, the real power of theology is not only knowing it but applying it. Thanks for listening!

 “Belief in Christian doctrines is not for mere education, or the ability to argue with others, but to supremely delight in Christ.” - Dustin Benge 

Hello Kitchen Table Theology Family!  In this episode, Pastor Jeff and Jen Denton are currently in a series about the ordinances of the church. So far in this series, we have discussed Baptism and today we continue our discussion on Communion or the Lord’s Supper. 

[00:01] Continuing Our Discussion 

• This episode is brought to you by Your Greatest Adventure: Taking the Next Steps in Your Faith by Pastor Jeff Cranston 
• What does the Eucharist mean? 

[03:44] 5 Main Views On the Meaning of the Lord's Supper

• The Memorial View
  • Jesus intended the Lord's Supper to primarily be a memorial observance of him
  • Communion ought to remind us of our oneness with Christ, and our oneness with other believers, as we fellowship   
• The Roman Catholic View 
  • Transubstantiation. The bread and wine are transformed into the body and blood of Christ
• The Lutheran View 
  • Consubstantiation. Christ is said to be in with and under the elements
• The Zwinglian View 
  • A commemorative act
• The Reformed or Calvinistic View 
  • Christ’s spiritual presence is real in such a way that Jesus’ body and blood is enjoined in the supper

[18:52] Which View is Most Strongly Supported Biblically?  

• The Biblical support for The Memorial View 
• How should our heart be postured when taking communion? 
• Pastor Jeff tells a story about Leonardo Da Vinci and the painting of The Last Supper 
  • Nothing must detract from Jesus Christ when we take communion 

[23:07] Closing Segment 

• We’ll be going on a break! 
• Announcing our next series topic! 
• This episode is brought to you by Your Greatest Adventure and Happily Ever After by Pastor Jeff Cranston 
• Closing words! 

Key Quotes

“The spiritual presence of Christ, I think, is as real in the Lord's Supper, as it is real in the Word of God, and the believer’s life as the believer fellowships with Christ,” - Pastor Jeff Cranston  

“We've got to come to the table in a worshipful attitude. We have to examine ourselves, make sure that we're properly related to the Lord and to other believers in that moment.” - Pastor Jeff Cranston 

Resources Mentioned

• Da Vinci’s Cup: A Lesson in Humility

Join the Conversation

We love your feedback! If you enjoyed this episode, leave us a review. If you have any questions or comments on today’s episode, email me at [email protected]

Visit my website https://www.jeffcranston.com and subscribe to my newsletter. Join me on Sunday mornings at LowCountry Community Church. 

Check-in with us on Facebook or Instagram @pastorjeffcranston

Remember, the real power of theology is not only knowing it but applying it. Thanks for listening!

 “Jesus initiated the Lord's supper at Passover, the Jewish Passover meal. The Passover celebrates Israel's deliverance out of Egyptian slavery, Jesus took that and upped it in a major way; He gave us the Lord's Supper. And that celebrates an infinitely greater deliverance over sin.” - Pastor Jeff Cranston

Hello Kitchen Table Theology Family!  In this episode, Pastor Jeff and Jen Denton are currently in a series about the ordinances of the church. So far in this series, we have discussed Baptism and today we discuss Communion or the Lord’s Supper. 

[00:01] Introduction

• This episode is brought to you by Your Greatest Adventure: Taking the Next Steps in Your Faith by Pastor Jeff Cranston 
•  The Church’s ordinances are meant to unite the Body of Christ, however, they have engendered a lot of confusion and discord among Christians

[02:57] What Do You Think of When You Think of Communion? 

• Communion is also known as the Lord's supper, or the Eucharist
• Pastor Jeff tells a story about Charles E. Welch and how Welch’s grape juice impacted lives with the Gospel
• Jen reads 1 Corinthians 11:17-34, Paul correcting the Corinth Church from misunderstanding communion 

[13:33] The Origin and Practice of Communion Within The Early Church

• In Acts 2, Luke tells us the 4 markers of an early Christan 
  • Obedience to the teaching of the apostles
  • Fellowship with one another 
  • Breaking of bread
  • Prayer
• Some scholars believe that communion in some households was celebrated at every meal
• An extra-biblical source on how the early church was perceived from Pliny to Emperor Trajan

[19:23] The Perversion of the Lord's Supper, the Purpose for it and its Preparation

• How can communion be perverted? 
  • When the Church (Ecclesia) is divided in every way 
  • Unity, love, fellowship, togetherness, those have to be the hallmarks every time we take the Lord's supper together (Corinthians 10:11)

[25:30] Closing Segment

• Jen and Pastor Jeff read a review from a listener! 
• Closing words! 

Key Quotes

“We remember the spiritual and the eternal redemption that He bought and paid for, for us his loved one.” - Pastor Jeff Cranston

“Unity, love, fellowship, togetherness, those have to be the hallmarks every time we take the Lord's supper together.” - Pastor Jeff Cranston 

Resources Mentioned

• Pliny’s Letter to Trajan
• Wikipedia: Pliny the Younger on Christians

Join the Conversation

We love your feedback! If you enjoyed this episode, leave us a review. If you have any questions or comments on today’s episode, email me at [email protected]

Visit my website https://www.jeffcranston.com and subscribe to my newsletter. Join me on Sunday mornings at LowCountry Community Church. 

Check-in with us on Facebook or Instagram @pastorjeffcranston

Remember, the real power of theology is not only knowing it but applying it. Thanks for listening!

“Baptism is meant to be an outward testimony of an inward change in the life of a believer, and Christian baptism is an act of obedience to the Lord after salvation.” -  Pastor Jeff Cranston

Hello Kitchen Table Theology Family!  In this episode, Pastor Jeff and Jen Denton are continuing their discussion on baptism in our new series on the ordinances of the church.

[00:01] Introduction

• Pastor Jeff gives us a summary of what was discussed last episode
• Different modes of baptism

[03:31] The Biblical Argument for Baptism by Sprinkling

• Why some people believe that sprinkling is the acceptable form of baptism
  • Certain Old Testament rituals of cleansing involve sprinkling
  • Sprinkling best pictures the cleansing of the Holy Spirit (Ezekiel 36:25)
  • Βαπτίζω (the Greek word for baptize)  has differing interpretations of translation to support sprinkling
  • Immersion is claimed to be improbable or impossible in certain instances in the New Testament  (Acts 2:41, Acts 8:38, Acts 16:33)
  • The greater majority of the visible church practices nonimmersion baptism 

[06:25] The Biblical Argument for Baptism by Affusion

• Pouring water may best picture the ministry of the Holy Spirit coming on, and into the life of a believer
• In John 1:29-34, there are differing interpretations of translation  

[10:24] The Practice of Baptizing Infants

• The arguments for Paedobaptism
  • Paedobaptism is linked to circumcision in the OT, and infant baptism in the NT (Col 2:11-12)
  • The early church practiced infant baptism and early church fathers supported it in their writings  
• The arguments against Paedobaptism
  • Baptism always follows belief in the NT
  • Baptism is the initiatory rite into a believing community, not a covenant

[17:54] A Summary of Today’s Episode

• Baptism is meant to be an outward testimony of an inward change in the life of a believer
• We read a review from a listener! 
• This episode is brought to you by Your Greatest Adventure: Taking the Next Steps in Your Faith by Pastor Jeff Cranston 
• Connect with us! 

Key Quotes

“Another argument for believers’ baptism is that baptism is the initiatory rite, not into a covenant, but into a believing community, which we call The Church. Therefore, baptism should only be practiced among believers. ” - Pastor Jeff Cranston   

Resources Mentioned

• Basic Theology: A Popular Systematic Guide to Understanding Biblical Truth by Charles Caldwell Ryrie 

Join the Conversation

We love your feedback! If you enjoyed this episode, leave us a review. If you have any questions or comments on today’s episode, email me at [email protected]

Visit my website https://www.jeffcranston.com and subscribe to my newsletter. Join me on Sunday mornings at LowCountry Community Church. 

Check-in with us on Facebook or Instagram @pastorjeffcranston

Remember, the real power of theology is not only knowing it but applying it. Thanks for listening!

“Baptism is also an illustration of Christ's death and burial, and resurrection. It's meant to be a public declaration of faith in Christ. It's meant to be a step of identification with him. It's meant to be a proclamation of desire to follow him.” - Pastor Jeff Cranston   

Hello Kitchen Table Theology Family!  In this episode, Pastor Jeff and Jen Denton are beginning a new series on the ordinances of the church. Jesus left his church with these wonderful practices, but why is there's so much confusion and disagreement among Christians regarding these things? 

[00:01] Why Are the Ordinances of the Church so Divisive? 

• This episode is brought to you by Your Greatest Adventure: Taking the Next Steps in Your Faith by Pastor Jeff Cranston 
• If these practices are meant to unite the body of Christ, why is there so much disagreement?  
• Ordinance and Sacraments refer to the same thing. It may not make any difference, with which verbiage to use but it all comes down to how we define them
• Are differing views of Baptism enough cause to a sever among the church?

 [09:05] The Importance of Baptism  

• Baptism is 
  • Intended to be an initial act of obedience to Christ
  • An illustration of Christ's death and burial, and resurrection
  • Meant to be a public declaration of faith in Christ 
  • Meant to be a step of identification with him 
  • Meant to be a proclamation of desire to follow him
• Jesus commanded us to be baptized 
• Baptism is a foundational truth of the Christian faith (Hebrews 6:1-2)

[11:19] How Should We Baptize? 

• This is a highly debated topic
• Evidence presented that baptism by immersion was carried out  in the New Testament 
  • Βαπτίζω (Greek word for baptize) meaning to plunge to dip, or to immerse in.
  • Scriptural references in Mark 1 and John 3:23 
  • The symbolism of baptism by immersion portrays the union we have with Christ and His death, His burial and His resurrection

[16:39] Final Thoughts    

• Final words - We read a listener’s review!  
• Connect with us! 

Key Quotes

“Baptism is intended to be an initial act of obedience to Christ. Once you have come to faith in Christ, your next step immediately should be to be baptized.” - Pastor Jeff Cranston  

“Jesus commanded us to be baptized, that was a command, not a suggestion.” - Pastor Jeff Cranston   

Resources Mentioned

• Your Greatest Adventure: Taking the Next Steps in Your Faith by Pastor Jeff Cranston 

Join the Conversation

We love your feedback! If you enjoyed this episode, leave us a review. If you have any questions or comments on today’s episode, email me at [email protected]

Visit my website https://www.jeffcranston.com and subscribe to my newsletter. Join me on Sunday mornings at LowCountry Community Church. 

Check-in with us on Facebook or Instagram @pastorjeffcranston

Remember, the real power of theology is not only knowing it but applying it. Thanks for listening!

“Our primary focus as Christians should be striving, under the power under and influence of the Holy Spirit toward a life of holiness and faith. And when we see those two characteristics increasing in our lives, we find the power to overcome sinful actions and sinful desires.” - Pastor Jeff Cranston  

Hello Kitchen Table Theology Family!  In this episode, Pastor Jeff and Jen Denton are completing their series on Angelology. So far we’ve tackled the topics: What Are Angels? Angelic Purpose Within God's Purpose, How We Relate to Angels, Where Did Demons Come From? & the Activities of Satan and His Demons. Today we tackle Demonic Activity and the Life of a Believer

[00:01] Is All Sin and Evil Directly from Satan and His Demons?

• Because of Jesus, what power do we have as Christians have over demons?
• All sin can be directly and indirectly attributed to Satan
• The emphasis in the New Testament is telling us to live lives of righteousness

 [03:42] What Is Our Primary Focus As Christians? 

• Dissension within the Church (1 Cor) 
• Our focus must be striving, through the Holy Spirit, toward a life of holiness and faith

 [06:08] Understanding Demonic Activity

• Where is demonic activity spoken about in the New Testament? (1 Tim 4, 2 Tim)
• Anything that opposes the work of God today is likely demonic activity
• Can a Christian be demon-possessed? 
  • If by demon possession, we mean that a person's will is completely dominated by demons with no power to choose or not choose God, the answer is No (Rom 6:14)
  • Christians can be swayed or influenced by demonic activity, which is not the same as demon possession 

[15:27] What authority do we have as Believers?

• Jesus specifically gave authority over the power of the enemy to His disciples (Acts) 
•  Recognize the work of Jesus on the cross won the complete and total victory over the enemy
• The firm spiritual position from which we engage in spiritual warfare comes from our membership in God’s family 
• What we can do if we are facing a situation of demonic activity
  • Pastor Jeff teaches how we can prepare our hearts and pray

[26:13] Final Thoughts    

• Final words - Stay tuned to our next series 
• Connect with us! 

Key Quotes

 “The emphasis in the New Testament is not on telling us not to sin, but rather to live lives of righteousness.” - Pastor Jeff Cranston 

“Don't look at the power that Satan holds. Look at the holiness and righteousness of Christ.” - Jen Denton

Join the Conversation

We love your feedback! If you enjoyed this episode, leave us a review. If you have any questions or comments on today’s episode, email me at [email protected]

Visit my website https://www.jeffcranston.com and subscribe to my newsletter. Join me on Sunday mornings at LowCountry Community Church. 

Check-in with us on Facebook or Instagram @pastorjeffcranston

Remember, the real power of theology is not only knowing it but applying it. Thanks for listening!