My Journey to the Darkside

I was saved at the age of sixteen. Soon after I began to wonder why I had come to Christ while others go to their graves hostile to the Gospel. At this point I asked Betty, the mother of the twins, Kevin and Karen, who had led me to Christ. Her respnse was that somebody must have been praying for me. Hmmm. Why did somebody pray for me and not those who die outside of Christ? Her answer only brought up more questions that needed to be delt with. Very frustrating.

About two years later some friends and I were discussing Romans 9-11. There was Carol, her brother Salvatore, Tim, Doug, and myself. We went back and forth on these verses. This conversation left a very deep impression on me. Salvatore stated boldly, " Well, I chose Him!" Carol ended the whole thing by stating that she was getting sick to her stomach. I was too,but the wonderment continued.

Enter Jim Domn. The year was 1977, and I was now twenty. He was a youth pastor that I had known since 1975. In the mean time he had stumbled across the Doctrines of Grace (DoG). One night in the summer of said '77 he sat me down to introduce me to the DoG. There was that sick feeling again. I offered up all the garden variety arguments against the DoG. Deep down though I knew he was right, and that I was wrong. After that initial encounter, though, he and I lost contact with eachother. I was glad. The challenge was now gone. What a relief.

Then came the car accident in May of 1978. There I was laid up in bed for what would be a six week stay. I was fairly popular and had many visitors, especially in the first two weeks. Well... One of those visitors was good old Jim. I dreaded the sight of him walking through the door. There was that sick feeling again. I was so hoping he would not bring up that subject again. Then, there it happened. He said, "Mark, we have some unfinished business to discuss." He was right. I determined that if my life was to be controlled by the Word of God then I must face this thing head-on.

Fast forward several weeks. I was now in my parent's living room with a full length cast on my leg. I had Jim come over to discuss Romans 8-11. There was no honest way around it. God elects people to salvation. I ran to my pastor about this. Perhaps he could help me out of the problem I had with receiving this truth. He recommended I read Robert Shank's "Life In The Son". This I did. But Shank believes people can lose their salvation. I was NEVER persuaded by that line of thinking even though those who led me to Christ believed that way as well as the church I attended. So, Shank's book was no help.

My journey to the Darkside was now complete. From 1978 on to the present the DoG makes the most sense of any system that I have encountered.

The strangest thing happened...

Yesterday in my daily trip into sitemeter- land I came across a visitor that I had never seen before. I checked into the matter and discovered that he/she found their way here by way of a GOOGLE search for "bench-press". Imagine their surprise to GOOGLE "bench-press" and happen onto a Christian blog. I wonder if this kind of thing can open the door for evangelism? If so then in the days ahead I shall share some more of my life experiences on this blog. Hopefully those posts will be rich in GOOGLE search words. Share your thoughts on this, please.

Mark

Ahhh, getting old...

I look at my Bench-Press trophies in my basement. They represent a time period of between August, 1987 through May, 1990. I was in my bench-press prime back then, ages 30 through 32. I was drug free and benched in the 385 pound range at the body weight of 217. As I said, my last contest was in May of 1990.

So long ago.

Now? Well... I weigh 267 and, on a good day, maybe I can bench 335. I could prolly go 20 to 30 pounds more but, since I now train by myself, I don't dare try. I'm 51 years old and am losing my strength levels. But, I "press" on. Gotta take them vitamines, "Animal Pack" daily packs. There are ten tablets in those packages, a small meal in themselves.

I think that athletes have a better handle on their mortality than the average person. One cannot but acknowledge diminished abilities as they unfold before your eyes. Only fools deny the obvious. My powerlifting friends are all going through this too. About twice a year I get together with one of them to train. Together we look at what we can lift now and compare it to back then. We're getting old.

Bob, my "coach" he's 58 and still lifts in contests. He took home a NYS record in the "Dead Lift" this past November. Good for him. Maybe, the Lord willing, I can enter a contest yet again. I can no longer lift in the "Open" division where the younger men lift - 20 to 45 year olds. Instead, I must compete in the "seniors" division. That would be great to shoot for.

Enough rambling.

Voice of Vision: Where the Wind Blows

Voice of Vision: Where the Wind Blows

Colin Maxwell Expresses My Concerns

Hi

One of the things that I honestly find heard to grasp re: the 1,000 year reign on earth is that if I die first and go to Heaven, then I leave sin (both in myself and others) behind and live in a glorious sin free envoirnment. Well and good. Do I then come back to earth in the Millenium and live with unconverted people who, although restrained, are still basically wicked in their hearts and whose wickedness will eventually break out near the end of the Millenium? As I say, I do struggle with this thought.

Regards,
======================================================
I'm having those same struggles. I'm thinking of buying Kim Riddlebarger's book on the Amill position. You see, the churches I attended as a young Christian were all persuaded by the pre-mill position. During my stay at those churches I began to struggle with that position because I could find no clear teachings from the Bible on it. My concerns hit critical mass when I pondered Ephesians 2 and it struck me that we are right now living in that time period that is the very apex of redemptive history this side of the Eternal State. Why go backwards? Why be persuaded by a system that is very selective in what verses to consider literally? Why go backwards from what Jesus told the woman at the well when He told her that neither on this mountain nor at Jerusalem shall people worship the Father; but that they shall worship in spirit and truth?

Trust

http://baptist-girl.blogspot.com/2008/04/trust.html

I Love To Tell The Story

http://sweetjazzycat.blogspot.com/2008/04/i-love-to-tell-story.html

Voice of Vision: 60 Seconds

Voice of Vision: 60 Seconds

CAMPONTHIS: PREACH CHRIST FROM ALL OF THE SCRIPTURES...a Christless discourse is the merriment of devils

CAMPONTHIS: PREACH CHRIST FROM ALL OF THE SCRIPTURES<br>...a Christless discourse is the merriment of devils

Okay, so tell me something...

In John 4:21-24 we have Jesus talking to the woman at the well. Here is some of what He said:
"21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

So here is our Lord saying that people"will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. " The time was coming, and now is, when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. " With this in mind what are we to do with Zechariah 14:16-17, clearly a prophecy at some point in the the future, where people will go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of Hosts. Is what Jesus told that woman at the well merely a temporary experience in God's plans? How about the possibility that Zechariah 14:16-17 is not some prophecy of the future at all; but a description of the history of the church between His first coming and His second?

Looking at Zech. 14:18-19 we see that the LORD shall strike those nations that do not go up to worship with some plague and with no rain. I've been to Egypt. Without the Nile it is arid and desolate. Are they now experiencing that which Zechariah said would happen if they did not go up to worship the King? ... Read Hebrews 12:22-24 to see where I'm going with this.

Mark

Jon Zens on Dispensationalism

I'm not saying how much of the following article that I agree with or not. I just want to offer this up for your reading pleasure. I would like to see your comments on it.

Here it is...http://www.the-highway.com/articleApr01.html

Mark

Huh!

Now that I have "re-solo-ized"...

I was once told that "R.T. Kendall gets it!"... So, I bought his book "Once Saved, Always Saved". Hmmm. Interesting... A punitive Judgement Seat of Christ... Emphasis on rewards... Interesting indeed.

Let clear Scripture interpret more difficult Scripture!

2 Thessalonians 2:13-17 But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. (14) To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. (15) So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter. (16) Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, (17) comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.

Paul is certainly not describing a parable in this passage. He is not speaking allegorically. It is not part of poem. It is not a metaphor. It is not some kind of illustration. Paul is speaking directly to the church of the Thessalonians. Therefore, we should use this clear teaching of Scripture to interpret more difficult passages as well as parables. We should not let bizarre interpretations of parables be used to discount clear Scripture passages. This is even truer when many other clear passages teach the same truth over and over again.

By taking the clear passage above literally we learn the following:
1) Paul gives thanks to those brothers who are chosen by God to be saved. God imparts grace to the brothers that He has chosen and they all come willingly (see also Romans 8:30).
2) They believe the truth of the gospel that sanctifies them (see also John 17:17). Truth = the whole truth and nothing but the truth. It does not mean a little truth with a lot of error or even some error. It means faith that the Son of God, Jesus Christ, died on the cross and rose from the dead to pay the penalty for the sins of those chosen by grace and purchased a place for them in heaven. Saving faith is faith in this truth.
3) Verse 13 above is clear that those God saves he also sanctifies by the Holy Spirit. All (100%) to which God gives the grace of faith and belief will also be sanctified by grace. Sanctification means they will all grow in grace and holiness. The Holy Spirit does not fail in making the redeemed into new creations (see 2 Cor. 5:17). The Spirit of God leads all (100%) of those that are redeemed (see Romans 8:14).
4) All (100%) of those saved and sanctified will overcome and obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 John 5:1-4 & Romans 8:30).

Therefore, the above passage in Thessalonians teach that everyone born of God by the Spirit will be sanctified by the Spirit and obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Everyone! Yet some use the parable of the wedding feast to assert that some saved Christians will be thrown out of the wedding feast and into the outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth because they have not earned enough rewards through works. To make such an interpretation requires that you ignore, discount, or re-interpret this crystal clear passage of 2 Thessalonians 2:13.

Isn’t the plain meaning of this passage in 2 Thessalonians clear enough or does it need further exegesis with ifs, ands, and buts? Since all of the truths in this passage are also presented clearly in many other passages of Scripture, what possible reason would anyone have to reject the literal meaning here? Should bizarre parable interpretations trump clear Scripture? Should we believe the power of God the Holy Spirit in verse 13 could be overcome by the power of Spirit of the age?

Brethren, we should avoid anyone who discounts or denies the power of God! The clear teachings of Scripture do not require a teacher or a preacher. I would encourage everyone to read the Bible and discern for themselves those basic fundamental principles that are taught concerning the Holy Spirit’s role and power in justification and sanctification. He who began a good work in you will carry it out to completion (Phil 1:6). God through grace and power is working in Christian sanctification. Rejoice in that fact.

WHAT IS THE LORD'S PRAYER

"In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my
God for help. From His temple He heard my voice;
my cry came before Him, into His ears." Psalm 18:6

"In my anguish I cried to the Lord, and He
answered by setting me free." Psalm 118:5

I found this interesting

Question: "What is the Lord's prayer and should we pray it?"

Answer: The Lord’s prayer is a prayer that Jesus taught His disciples in Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4. Matthew 6:9-13 reads, “This, then, is how you should pray: 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.'” Many people mistakenly understand the Lord’s prayer to be a prayer we are supposed to pray word for word. Some people treat the Lord’s prayer as almost a magic formula, as if the words themselves have some specific power or influence with God.

The Bible teaches us the opposite. God is far more interested in our hearts when we pray than He is in our words. Matthew 6:6 teaches us, “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” Matthew 6:7 goes on to say, “And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.” In prayer, we are to pour out our hearts to God (Philippians 4:6-7), not simply recite memorized words to God.

Instead, the Lord’s prayer should be understood as an example, a pattern of how to pray. The Lord’s Prayer teaches us to pray. It gives us the “ingredients” that should go into prayer. Here is how it breaks down. “Our Father in heaven” is teaching us who to address our prayers to, the Father. “Hallowed be your name” is telling us to worship God, and to praise Him for who He is. The phrase “your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” is a reminder to us that we are to pray for God’s plan in our lives and the world, not our own plan. We are to pray for God’s will to be done, not for our desires. We are encouraged to ask God for the things we need in “give us today our daily bread.” “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” remind us to confess our sins to God and to turn from them – and then also to forgive others as God has forgiven us. The conclusion of the Lord’s prayer, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one” is a plea for help in achieving victory over sin and a request for protection from the attacks of the devil.

So, again, the Lord’s prayer is not a prayer we are to memorize and recite back to God. It is only an example of how we should be praying. Is there anything wrong with memorizing the Lord’s prayer? Of course not! Is there anything wrong with praying the Lord’s prayer back to God? Not if your heart is in it and you truly mean the words you say. Remember, in prayer, God is far more interested in us communing with Him and speaking from our hearts than He is in the specific words we use. Philippians 4:6-7 declares, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

God looks not at the elegancy of your prayers, to see how neat they are; nor yet at the geometry of your prayers, to see how long they are; nor yet at the arithmetic of your prayers, to see how many they are; nor yet at the music of your prayers, nor yet at the sweetness of your voice, nor yet at the logic of your prayers; but at the sincerity of your prayers, how hearty they are. There is no prayer acknowledged, approved, accepted, recorded, or rewarded by God, but that wherein the heart is sincerely and wholly. The true mother would not have the child divided. God loves a broken and a contrite heart, so He loathes a divided heart. God neither loves halting or halving.- Thomas Brooks

Amazing Grace

John 9:25 He answered, "Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see."

How sweet the sound and how precious is the grace when a sinner rests and trusts in his savior Jesus Christ. As his blind spiritual eyes are made to see, he is overcome with joy and peace as he reflects on his former life of sin. With spiritual sight, he can see how wretched and blind he used to be. But now his life is new and his focus is on the things of God, the Word of God, and the people of God. The old attitudes are gone and the new has come. He has new likes and new dislikes. What once were pleasures are now sorrows. Things that once brought pride now bring shame. Grace has wrought a new creature with a new heart. It is grace. It is amazing, and its sound is sweet. What a comfort it is to know that grace will lead the believer home, when the flesh and heart fail. In the blink of an eye there will be a transformation and glory shall begin. Christian, meditate on this and take comfort.

Amazing Grace
Words By: John Newton

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.

’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed!

Through many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me,
His Word my hope secures;
He will my Shield and Portion be,
As long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who called me here below,
Will be forever mine.

When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing
God’s praiseThan when we’d first begun.

John Calvin the Soulwinner

Recently I was asked to write a review of the Banner of Truth's recent release of the Sermons of John Calvin on the first seven chapters of the Book of Acts. Although the series is incomplete because many sermons are missing, yet there are no less than 44 sermons in this volume. I am trying to read one a day and if so, I have enough reading for around 6 glorious weeks.
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In one of his sermons on the deacons in Acts 6 (of all places!) I picked up the following gems to show that John Calvin had his eye on the ball when it came to evangelising the lost. Those who take it upon themselves to say that he had no passion for lost souls (to borrow Scripture) understand neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm. Here are a few excerpts - tit bits really - of what he urged upon his hearers in August 155o.

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"Now there is nothing in this world to be desired more than to see the church grow and have an infinite number of believers." (p318) ... "In this passage we see that in the church, where there were still apostles, dissatisfaction had arisen because the numbers had grown. That does not mean we must not do everything we possibly can to draw people to God." (p318) ... "So even though we have tumult and toil, let us do as we are commanded and work to win the whole world to God and bring it in obedience unto him." (p318) ... "Therefore we must do as much [as the unswerving apostles] and desire especially that the gospel be extended and increased throughout the whole world." (p319) ... "Now we know that God prizes nothing above his honour, which lies mainly in men's knowing him and poor souls' being brought to salvation. So let us not be surprised if our Lord wants his gospel to be proclaimed with such diligence that nothing can hinder its course. For the only way men can come to salvation is through instruction in what the Bible teaches. Now since this is God's will, let us follow it." (P325) ... "It is very important for us to be aware that the more we understand how difficult it is to get everybody to acknowledge God as they should and how difficult it is to bring about the preaching of the gospel, the more we must be encouraged to pray that God will be pleased to give his word power..." (P325) ..."Let that then stir us and prod us to be even more diligent. For this is no small matter. First, we must proclaim God's word faithfully without adding anything of our own to it. We must have zeal and burning desire that everyone be brought to the knowledge of God for his forgiveness and for salvation." (p327)

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What can we say to this great Evangelist and Soul winner, but "Amen! "

Please Read This Post

Yes, do check this one out... http://www.puritanfellowship.com/2007/11/romans-7-by-charles-leiter.html

Let me know what you think.

Blessings,
Mark

Check out Antonio's post...

For anybody who is interested there is an interesting conversation going on here...
http://free-grace.blogspot.com/2008/03/so-youre-born-again-but-will-you-walk.html#links

Happy participation!

Atheists believe and have faith....

Make no mistake, by definition, atheism requires faith and belief.

The dictionary defines faith and atheist as follows:
Faith: belief that is not based on proof: He had faith that the hypothesis would be substantiated by fact.
Atheist: n. One who disbelieves or denies the existence of God or gods.

Since atheists cannot prove there is no supreme being, their position of disbelief is based on faith. Therefore, when atheists mock, and impugn Christians by saying their belief is based on faith, they are exercising extreme arrogance. It is quite simply a case of the pot calling the kettle black.

God has the following to say in Job 38:1-4:
Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:2 “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? 3 Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me. 4 “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?Tell me, if you have understanding.

It is certainly possible for one to not have faith when claiming they don’t know, but it is the height of pride and haughtiness to impugn Christian faith while at the same time exercising a godless faith. They are not going to get away with it here.

Let he that has ears to hear, hear!

Justification and Sanctification

I've been reading up on "Keswick Theology" lately. One very interesting article can be found here... http://www.frontlinemin.org/higherlife.asp.

Your thoughts?