The Kingdom Come

I've been saying for a while now that I'm moving toward a less theological stance. I am eager to interact with people who are honest even before I interact with people who are "religious" or even Christian. Not that religious people and Christians can't be honest, but after having to endure the corrupt expression of religion from Kenneth Talbot of Whitefield Theological Seminary I am turned off by any semblance of fraud.

So, I am moving toward discussions with honest people; people of integrity and principle. People who actually will publicly interact and not hide away or send their cronies and followers out with talking points.

After over 8 years in existence, I'm thinking about closing the TKC website. Not for lack of activity since the site has on average, over 6500 hits a day and 200,000 hits a month. But, it is sort of like how people become disenchanted with political parties that keep failing to do what they say they are going to do. I have interacted with a lot of great people throughout the years. The site has gone through a variety of changes. The podcast collection boasts over 50 interesting and thought provoking shows; with many that were deleted when I left the hyperpreteristⁱ movement.

I have never asked for donations nor used a sponsor of any sort. This site has been an open and honest site that doesn't even require a person to sign up before they comment. The topics range from verse-by-verse studies to world politics, movie reviews, deep theological issues, history or personal blog commentary.

As I become less and less enthusiastic about discussing theology, due to the blantant hypocrisy among men I PREVIOUSLY respected, I am branching off. TKC will remain my theological website, however it may or may not be as active depending on what's going on.

My two new websites are HISTORICALREALISM.COM and RODERICKE.COM

Some of my non-religious friends have asked why this site is called "The Kingdom Come". They understand it is a theological site but they want to know the meaning behind the name. Am I trying to state something specific with the name? I suspect if they weren't so kind, that they might come right out and ask; "Roderick are you some kind of right-wing religious nut that is trying to push the world coming to an end?"

THE KINGDOM COME
The title of the site comes from what is often referred to as The Lord's Prayer; in the Bible book of Matthew. Mt 6:10. The prayer is Jesus telling some of his followers how to pray to God. He was contrasting how some people pray self-centered prayers or pray real publicly so as to brag how religious they are. We see these types of people even today, not so much in public prayers but when they do public charity work. It is as if they want everyone to see how "good" they are.

Some site owners want to copy and paste content that is unique to this site on to their site in order to spark conversation. I have NO PROBLEM with it if you copy and paste ENTIRE articles, but please provide a link back to the site so others may copy and paste more articles.

There are many reasons why we ask this to be done. One obvious reason is that it helps disseminate the message of this website which is the whole point in having this site to begin with. If the site's content can be accessed elsewhere, that's great and represents the idea of free exchange of ideas which I whole-heartily endorse.

You know, I was reading some of the comments by the various readers of TKC and I really appreciate them; even the ones with which I may disagree. I mean, the people who comment on this site aren't a bunch of tag-a-long cronies of mine -- nor would I want cronies. So many blog-type websites are full of these type of situations where the moderator/site owner is egotistical and blathers on and on while his or her supporters ooo and ahhh and pat them on the back no matter what they say.

But the readers of TKC are typically people I've never met or with which I've never had any previous interaction. They read an article or comments which cause them to break their passive reading and come forth with comments. The comments from TKC readers are not atta-boys to me but well thought-out, and sometimes passionate interactions.

Anyhow, I really appreciate the readers and commenters here, because they are here to contribute to the discussion rather than to my ego. Thanks

TKC subscribes to various website feeds. What this means is that you can access content from those other websites while on TKC.

The main link to access the feeds is http://thekingdomcome.com/aggregator

However, there are two other formats in which the feeds are presented.

a new feature was added to TKC. Now you can double-click any word anywhere on the website, even if it is not a hyperlink and a popup box will show a definition of the word. Give it a try on this word: epistemological. But it won't just show the definition but also a lot more reference material you may find useful.

I just wanted to update readers on the TKC Verse-By-Verse Bible Commentary project. As I have related in the past, I am going through the Bible verse-by-verse and writing commentary on each verse. I am working in both the New and Old Testament so that those interested in the OT commentary can follow along there and those interested in the NT will not have to wait until I reach that point.

So far, I have completed the first three chapters of Genesis and the first chapter of Matthew. The commentary is meant to be very basic and more like a tour through the books of the Bible than an exhaustive tome that ends up being four times larger than the Bible itself.

I've tried to keep the focus of this site on the content and not on the person, but as more people want to know the person behind the content I think it right to share a little about the person; Roderick Edwards.

I am also preparing a testimony and statement of faith so that everything is very clear.

Who is Roderick Edwards?

I've always tried to be very open, very honest with both friend and foe. That honesty has allowed foes to attack. But you know, when I look at people, I look more at who their enemies are than who their friends are. You can tell a lot about a person by who opposes them.

But now, let's see who Roderick Edwards is as a person rather than just some nameless poster of content on the Internet.

So you have always wanted your own website, something beyond just a blog, but you think the setup will be too difficult?  Well, now here's your chance.  SITEGROUND, the hosting company for this website is offering to host new websites for only $9.95 for the first year.  But for visitors of TKC, I want to add to that.  If you register for a new website through THIS LINK, and use the Drupal CMS (just a way to run a website, which siteground provides), I'd be happy to answer a couple of your questions about setup.  FREE.  Just use the contact form or comment on this article.

WHY?

Now you're asking, "Why would Roderick do such a thing?".  Well, for each person that signs up via THIS LINK, I will get 1 month free hosting on my own website.  This way I help my readers and they help me, all the while everyone benefits.  Nope, no begging for "donations" or "love gifts" by TKC, never have and never will.

So, if you want to start your own website, now is the time.  My only caveat is that please do not use THIS LINK to setup a website site that would be opposed or objectionable to Christianity, otherwise my offer to help is off the table.  Thanks

Okay, I'll admit it, I'm a geek.  Well, I'm sort of a geek.  I began using the Internet when all the Internet was was a loose collection of college BBS's (bulletin board systems).  These were text-based, menu driven formats that looked like the screen shot below.

The commands to navigate from screen to screen were not always the same with each BBS.  And no, there were not any graphics, no pictures beyond "ASCII art" (see example #1, #2).  Joan Stark's work will live on forever!

2010 promises to be an interesting year around TKC.  First, please allow me to recap 2009 so as to show how and why 2010 will be different and interesting.  Actually, it has been a  2 year span from 2008-2009 that I was defined as the "ex-hyperpreteristⁱ" (see definition).  I would consider those transition years, a time when I was "recovering" from the effects of my 15-year long stint within the heresy.  To that end, I want to thank Dee Dee Warren of the website PreteristBlog.  She allowed me to write on the subject for 2 years at that site, keeping my own site relatively clear of...well that entire sordid mess.  However, Dee Dee has since kind of thrown me under the bus, and sure it hurts a bit, but as a believer in God's sovereignty, even these things shall work for good for those who love Him. (Romans 8:28)

So, while I have been a little upset to see what has transpired in the 'Cause' against hyperpreterism, with all the political pandering and apparently unethical gratuities, I know there is a purpose even in this.  I know for one thing, it confuses the hyperpreterist battle plan.  You see, it used to be easy for them to just paint me as the reason people didn't like them and their beliefs. "If we could just silence that Roderick Edwards..."  Well, so now God has moved me on to other things yet the opposition that remains is completely disconnected from me, so the the hyperpreterists no longer have that angle.  The irony that the people with whom I once stood shoulder to shoulder with against hyperpreterism have thrown me under bus (the thing the hyperpreterists longed for), are now going to be the ones that hyperpreterists must engage daily.

One more thing and I shall leave the topic of hyperpreterism behind.  I do want to apologize to my readers that have been following this topic for the last few years.  Although Dee Dee was very generous, I now regret ever joining up with such a person. I was reluctant at first anyhow but she kept urging me.  What has happened is, I got involved in the daily drama that is Dee Dee Warren.  I tried to ignore it but once the drama became personal life posting on a supposed "apologist" website, I saw that I had stepped into a mess. With Dee Dee, something more was going on than just using the website to counter hyperpreterism.  I also apologize to my readers for sometimes responding to the hyperpreterists and their supporters when I probably should have just remained silent.  And more, I should not have become entangled in other people's agendas.

2010

Being freed from other people's agendas, will allow me to get back to doing what I love to do.  In 2010, I will resume:

1. The Bible Commentary Project - verse-by-verse
2. Do more Podcasts (interviews)
3. Do more book/video reviews
4. Make more video presentations
5. Work on my 'Evidences' series
6. Begin the 'History of the Great Commission' project

So, I hope you the readers will forgive me for the sidetrack of 2008-2009 and continue to participate as God moves you in 2010.

God bless and keep you, in Christ Jesus our Lord and King,

thanks,
Roderick Edwards

Kingdom Commentaries Podcast was a monthly feature of thekingdomcome.com for over 2 years but this is the first one produced for 2009.  TKC Update 2009 is a summary of some projects I have going.  Listen to this 9 minute audio either via the Kingdom Commentaries podcast page or if you want to download it to your computer, ipod or mp3 device simply right click the following link and select SAVEAS.

thekingdomcome.com/kingdomcommentaries/sites/all/tkcupdate2009_mixed.mp3

SHOW NOTES:

Topics mentioned

1. Review of When Shall These Things Be?
2. PreteristBlog.com
3. Theology Today
4. Review of The Shape of Sola Scriptura
5. YouTube Videos produced by TKC
6. Radical Corruption video
7. Christian HipHop Forum (site not disclosed)
8. Multi-contributor Bible Commentary Project (in progress)
9. Commemortating John Calvin's 500th birthday

I haven't been posting comments because when I re-set the website I had not yet configured the forms to allow for the person to input their name.  It has been my policy not to post unnamed comments.  I also wanted to get some spam protection working before I opened up comments.

Anyhow, unregistered users can now make comments on content.  The comment will wait for approval (another layer of spam protection & to keep foes from going off on tangents). 

REGISTERED USERS

I am beginning to accept some registered users.  Utilize the CONTACT link to the left to request registration.  The present advantage of a registered user is to comment without moderation.  I may add more stuff later but right now I am utilizing this site more like a personal blog than a community forum.

Thanks

TKC was started in 2004 (see here) more as a personal journal for the writings of Roderick Edwards.  As time went on, friends & readers wanted to interact & participate.  The site then was restructured as a community site.  As Roderick passed through various theological perspectives, the site attracted individuals associated with those perspectives.  For some time, Roderick had embraced the hyperpreteristⁱ view (hyperpreterism = believing Jesus returned in AD70, the resurrection of the believers already happened, & the Judgment is done) & thus TKC was for a few years devoted to promoting that view.  In about early to mid 2007, Roderick aggressively began to doubt & oppose the hyperpreterist view, mainly due to the fact that hyperpreterism is built on the premise that almost 2000 years of historic Christian interpretation has been wrong when it comes to eschatology.  Roderick saw how arrogant & erroneous this was & began to openly question the leaders of the hyperpreterist movement.

By early 2008, it became obvious that a purge of several years of hyperpreterist material from the site was going to be necessary.  This was being done manually but there remained many articles laced with the hyperpreterist sheen.  In late July 2008, a software issue caused the site to be inaccessible for a few days.  During this time, Roderick considered & adopted the idea to completely start over with the site.  A clean install of the underlying software was implemented & Roderick began to work on reformatting the basic structure & look of the site.