Why Mid-ACTS? (Part 1)
I've been fortunate to grow up in a Christian home, and throughout my many years as a Christian I've been exposed to several different denominational churches; from Methodist to Full Gospel, then Pentecostal, leading into the Charismatic and eventually Baptist, with some minor exposure to more traditional churches throughout this lengthy journey. Looking back on this time, it's sad to say that only the last four years, from the writing of this article, have I come to learn of dispensationalism and the process of rightly dividing the Word of truth.
I was not introduced to dispensationalism by anyone but discovered it via various sources after events in my life brought me to evaluate things in my life, to seek for change, for something deeper than I presently had. I needed to inject something new into my current situation. It is this need that led me back to the Bible, looking for some truth, some revelation, something deeper that could spark life and energy into my environment and circumstances. It was at this point that I discovered dispensationalism and it set me on an incredible course of truth and discovery. I've never looked back since!
Over the course of these four years, I've not been able to put the Bible down. The Word has become alive, intriguing, and its content has suddenly become so clear and purposeful. For more than forty years the Bible was just a book; a book I knew as well as any other educated Christian, regarding its characters, their stories, the advice and the commandments, the songs, the parables, the warnings, and the observances. But now, through the view of dispensational divisions, it has all become so new, as if for the first time I'm really, really understanding the meanings of its content and the purpose for its writing.
It's only within these few years that I have been exposed to Bible prophecy in its full context, where I'm seeing the picture of God's great plan of redemption. Where was this in my last forty years? Why was this never taught in the rich clarity that I see it now? Why was I never exposed to the greater purpose of the Body of Christ and its role in God's plan? Where was the teachings that deal with end time events and our blessed hope, the glorious appearing of our great Saviour, Jesus Christ? I knew of prophecy, I knew of the rapture, but I was never exposed to the greater picture it painted and the wonders of how all this fits together. All these are integral in dispensationalism as it shows how these periods work together to accomplish the plan that God set up to redeem us and restore creation.
In this ongoing article series, "Why Mid-ACTS?", I will be documenting my discoveries and how it has redefined my views and completely changed my interpretation of the Bible. My objective is not to convince anyone to change their views, but simply to provide scriptural proofs that one can weigh up, evaluate, and pray about for oneself. Convicting and convincing the heart is God's work, but sharing what I have learned, what has so radically changed my life and what has made the Bible such and incredible discovery is what I can do to provide whosoever with a similar experience and journey.
Keep your eye out for a continuation of this series and an expounding of the lessons I have learned that changed my perspective of the Word and my understanding of what this Dispensation of Grace means and our response to living in it by the liberty of the Spirit.
God bless.
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