Good Lord's Day, It is another 90 degree at eleven AM day in Austin.

I'M BACK-We made the trip to Iowa in one week. Non-stop driving each way. A 
little over 900 miles each way. I will spare you a travelog. We have 
pictures, if you wish to drop over some evening. I was able to visit some 
family and friends as my older brother let us have use of his grand home. 
The Blaylocks from Rapid City drove over. They are very special Christian 
friends. At age 89, Everett rode every roller coaster at Adventureland Park, 
that some other person would dare. They, along with my 85 year young, 
saintly aunt went with us the next day to the famous Iowa State Fair where my 
aunt milked a cow and we all petted one day old piglets. I also spent much 
time with Drs. Nicholas and Leona Venditti. They are the authors and 
directors of INSTE-the worldwide program on my links. I will begin prayer 
needs with one from them.

IN JESUS' NAME-We pray that adequate and safe places in the Ukraine be 
provided for INSTE places of study. Your awesome blessing in growth will not 
exceed your ability.

We pray for a widow of a pastor/leader who is struggling for life at Iowa 
Lutheran Medical Center. Doctors are giving her hours to live with liver 
shutdown.

TOO LATE-After I returned home, I learned that Anna Quick lives in the Des 
Moines area. Recall her from recent letters as my Sunday School teacher when 
I was nine years of age? I would have at least called her. She is still 
active in church work.

BLESSED-And beautiful are only words, They are the only words that I know to 
describe our nation. Whenever I travel, I gratefully acknowledge God in all 
things.

THIS WEEKLY LETTER-Tries to stay clear of controversy. You keep asking me 
questions, and I defer the answer. My transparency in the study series on 
end times has opened the path for three queries that are so thouhgtful that I 
am compelled to answer beyond a private e-mail. 1. Are you a 
dispensationalist? 2. What about Old Testament saints? 3. Who will populate 
earth during the millenium? (However you choose to spell it) Since these 
three all bear on the other, I will begin by responding to number one. I 
will answer the others later. I am aware that there are differences of 
opinion. But since those differences have no bearing on my or your standing 
in Christ-I will defend to your death your right to be wrong.

DISPENSATIONS-Are our finite attempts to understand what can only be defined 
in eternal terms. I greatly appreciate the scholars who lay out patterns of 
7 or 9 divisions from eternity past to eternity in the future. They are 
beyond my ability to grasp and appreciate. I must reduce matters to simple 
terms for us in this communication, for my sake. In my thinking about God's 
dealings with man as His creation, I view four areas that are expessed by 
two words GRACE-LAW-GRACE-LAW.

From creation to Mt. Sinai, mankind experienced a particular display of the 
longsuffering of God. Mankind was a dismal, almost immediate failure in the 
garden at Eden. In acts of grace, God promised a Savior (Genesis 3:15) and 
removed mankind from a position lest he had no hope (Genesis 3:22). Was this 
a part of the meaning of "times of ignorance " (Acts 17:30) that a gracious 
God overlooked. Romans 5:14 clearly states that death was in control from 
Adam to Moses. As a beginning step to bring mankind and Life to a meeting 
point, God needed to make the rules clear (Romans 5:20). This he did at Mt. 
Sinai as recorded in Exodus chapters 20-40. This list, known as the Law, was 
repeated in Deuteronomy-literally means "second reading". The purpose of 
this effort toward us is stated in Galatians 2:24. We are told that as a 
schoolmster it brought us to Christ who would justify us by His death. This 
moves us to a second mountain-Calvary. 

What was "finished" in John 19:30 were the demands of the Law (Christ, as a 
sinless man, had fulfilled the total Law) and the reign of death (the 
Resurrection settled that eternally. 
Hallelujah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Grace now comes again to the human family as we accept Christ as "Way, Truth, 
Life (John 14:6). This time it comes with resurrection power and the 
promised Comforter (John 15:26 and 16:13). Individuals can please God 
victoriously. The Holy Spirit will make His presence known as this third 
person of the Godhesd works in redemption until Christ comes again to yet a 
third mountain-Olivet, in Zechariah, chapter 14.

A rule of divine law will be established for all of eternity. The Bible 
never extends a "second chance" type of redemption. But now; the open door of 
grace, in any form, is forever bolted. The only definite factor that we can 
state is the length of millenium-1,000 years is stated six times in 
Revelation, chapter 20. Beyond that barrier to finite understanding, lies 
speculation and wonders beyond imagination.

There remains some areas of judgement and rearranging that are done by total 
law.

I am and am not a dispensationalist. Boy, I should have been a politician.

His,
Ron Krantz