DEBATE – LEIGHTON FLOWERS VS JAMES WHITE – ‘DOES JOHN 6:44 TEACH UNCONDITIONAL ELECTION?’

Biblical truth, the character of God as shown in Scripture, and the eternal destination of each individual is of the utmost importance when it comes to determining what is true according to what is being taught by professing Christians. If a teaching based on a Bible verse does not line up with the rest of Scripture as it appears in context, but instead is based on presuppositions and the philosophies of men, we must put aside our presuppositions and go back to Scripture looking at the clear meaning of the text, along with examining other passages of Scripture on the same topic, and determine what is actually being taught before coming to a conclusion. With that in mind, I ask that you prayerfully consider watching this debate and consider the information and arguments given on both sides of this issue of ‘election‘ before coming to a conclusion regarding election.

I will state very clearly that I am neither a Calvinist, nor am I an Arminian. Therefore, I stand with Provisionist, Leighton Flowers, who passionately defended his position and the character and nature of God in light of Scripture during last Thursday’s debate (March 7, ’24). I do, however, have a deep respect for James White regarding his work in debating Catholic Theologians (and others) in order to establish the sufficiency of Jesus Christ’s once for all sacrifice for sin.

When time allows, I pray that you will take the time to listen to this debate with your Bibles open in order to search the Scriptures for yourself to determine what is true or not (Acts 17:11) because this topic is extremely important!

[NOTE: I have decided to open this particular post up for discussion, but it is only for those of you who would like to discuss this amongst yourselves whether you are a Calvinist, an Arminian, or Provisionist (one who holds to the view that Jesus Christ’s once for all sacrifice provided complete forgiveness for those who choose to place their faith and trust in all that He accomplished to provide for complete forgiveness for sin). Presently I don’t have the time to reply to comments due to preparing to have my taxes done and preparing for an upcoming art exhibit in Schaumburg, IL at the end of May ’24.]

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Thank you very much for stopping by today.

God Bless You

~Mary K Dalke – Living4HisGlory – Reflecting His Glory Fine Arts – Photography And Acrylic Art

TESTIMONY TUESDAY – LORETTA FROM MASSACHUSETTS SHARES HER HEART-WRENCHING STORY REGARDING HER DEAR SON AND CALVINISM

INTRODUCTION TO THIS SERIES

Please know that this series is not about putting down Calvinists. I know some Calvinists and love them dearly! This series (as well as all of the posts that I have written thus far on the topic of Catholicism) is about stressing the importance for all of us to test the teachings of everyone we listen to, the books that we read, etc., against the truth of God’s Word –in context — as we are shown to do in Scripture. (Acts 17:11, 1 Thessalonians 5:21,22, 1 John 4:1)

God gives us many warnings in His Word regarding false teachers in the last days and how they will arise even in our midst! (2 Peter 2:1-3, Acts 20:25-31) Therefore we should always be alert and constantly testing everything against Scripture so that we will not be deceived!

It doesn’t matter how well respected a professing Christian pastor or teacher may be, or how many years they have been in ministry, how big a church they may have, etc.. What’s of the utmost importance is:

Do they present teachings to you that are based on Scripture, and are those Scriptures completely in context?

Do they distort the very character and nature of God by using human reasoning, instead of presenting God’s nature in all of His glory, holiness, and infinite love and mercy as He is revealed to us in His Word?

God’s Word also warns us about another Jesus and another gospel:

“I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him. But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.” (2 Corinthians 11:2-4)

“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel — which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!” (Galatians 1:6-9)

Therefore, with these stern warnings that God has given to us in His Word in mind, we should constantly be on guard against accepting a false Jesus and a false gospel, both not having complete power to save!

At first I thought Calvinism and Reformed Theology were the next steps to take in order to go deeper into God’s Word so that we can get to know Him better. However, the more that I learned about these teachings by listening to John MacArthur, John Piper, R C Sproul, and Paul Washer, the more I realized how these teachings do not line up with Scripture! I also became very disturbed and troubled as I saw how these teachings distort the character and nature of God and the truly good news of the Biblical gospel! Many Scriptures came flooding into my mind to refute these teachings and I just could not embrace them as being Biblical!! Those were the reasons why I rejected Calvinism. Those are also the reasons why I see the urgent need to write this series; I simply want to point every Calvinist back to Scripture and away from the teachings of men!

It grieves me when I see many Calvinists post quotes from well-known Calvinist preachers such as Spurgeon, A W Pink, Martyn Lloyd Jones, and Calvin himself, instead of simply quoting Scripture. We need nothing more than God’s Word! How can we lose sight of the amazing fact that we have the very Word of God given to us by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit??!!

With all of that being said, here is the first submission that was sent to me by Loretta from Massachusetts. [NOTE: Names have been changed to protect their identities.] (I am waiting to receive more from some of you out there who would like to share your stories with me. Your names and locations will be changed to protect your identities, as well). When time allows, I may go through the many emails that this dear sister-in-Christ sent me and add more information that she had shared with me to this post –if I see the need to do so, and if I have time:

There are some things only a mother knows, I think God has given us that mothering gift exclusively because every mom I have ever known has had it. No disrespect to my husband, but he never saw this thing coming and I don’t blame him! Eight months after Leroy had left home to start plying his trade in LA after some local training, he took a cheap evening flight home for his first visit home. I was overjoyed at the prospect of seeing him again and did not sleep much the night before. The fact that Leroy had mentioned in his correspondence that he had listened and been to certain Calvinist mega-churches and had been reading Calvinist writers did worry me some. Let us be honest that LA is probably the last place parents want to see their children go, least of all to live and work! The horror stories from there are often not exaggerated.

Nothing, however, could prepare me for the next day. Seeing Leroy turned out to be one the saddest days of my life. I knew he had changed even before I kissed him hello. He looked different, spoke with a fake but weird accent, and he was distant as though his dad and I were actually embarrassing to him. He did not want to be home. I saw that and sensed that.

On the 40-minute or so drive home from the airport, my husband tried to strike up a conversation with Leroy. Leroy kept it strictly superficial and spoke about Hollywood and some of the famous people he had seen, and he said that he was not impressed with the Lakers or the Sparks. Leroy has always been a Celtics and Paul Pierce admirer! (Those days drove me nuts even tho’ they hold precious and sweet memories!) As if prompted, I suddenly felt I needed to ask Leroy something and asked him if he was still spreading the gospel as he used to do in our block.

My son grimaced and did not reply and for the rest of the trip no one spoke. By the time we reached our downtown apartment, my stomach was in knots and my chest was tight of the worryin’. After a late supper that had not gone as I had planned in my mind, and mostly because Leroy had barely spoken with his younger brother Jordan, I offered to unpack his suitcase, hoping to spend some needed time with him alone. While he was sitting on his bed and texting, I asked him to tell me what had happened in LA. I reminded him, silly me, that I was still his Mo. Many things had crossed my mind. Did he have problems at work? Problems in the apartment he was renting? Girlfriend problems? Did he not like the weather? Was the lifestyle change taking its toll on him? Had someone upset him, a friend perhaps? Was he in some kind of trouble?

Although I remember most of Leroy’s stingin’ words clearly, that night is still a hazy nightmare to me, and it still keeps me awake at night sometimes. Even now I sometimes get up at 3 a.m. and do household chores or watch some TV or read some. It’s very hard to write about this specific night because that’s the night that Leroy basically disowned me as his Mo. That’s the night he wrote off  his family, his dad, his brother, his past, and dare I say it, his Jesus. (I say “his Jesus” because he had found another.) I had expected bad news, but I was not prepared for what came out of his mouth and the manner in which he said it. He told me I was not saved. He said I was a “reprobate” like his dad and Jordan. It was also the first time that my firstborn had ever raised his voice at me. As far as my beautiful boy was concerned, everyone who did not hold to his revealed “doctrines of grace” and who did not worship “his” sovereign God on God’s terms, which was the strange unscriptural TULIP, was basically already in hell, “predestined by God to go to hell from before time began.”

Conveniently, and I say this with a mother’s love, Leroy was not one of the unbelieving doomed masses. As if taken over by someone or something else, Leroy explained, stressin’ every word as though I could not hear him, that he was now one of the “elect”, that the “sovereign” God had revealed it to him via the teaching and the elders of his godly church (which he has since changed for another two) and through their godly authority, which neither his dad nor I had ever had.

I broke down and left his room and for the next week, until he returned we did not speak about the incident again. We all pretended that nothing had happened except for Jordan. Jordan was not happy with the way Leroy had treated all of us, but took out his frustration by playing his jazz music with some friends in the church hall at nights. Since then, Leroy has only been home a couple of times, twice with his girlfriend, bless her heart, whom he had met at a church “function.” She is another huge influence on his life and decisions, and even once suggested with Leroy that I go for Biblical counseling so that I could also see the one true way that was found only in Calvinism. I really believed she was playing a joke on me, but it turned out that she was serious! Leroy’s choice of girlfriend is not my decision at all, but I can only pray that she turns from her ways and believes on the Lord Jesus Christ. But by far, the saddest aspect of Leroy’s “conversion” to what so many call the doctrines of men, which I agree with, is that since that first night and in the many times after that, is the absence of mentioning and reverence of the Lord Jesus Christ and His complete deity. Over time, Leroy has given me the names of hundreds of websites to visit, the names of just as many books, and he has spoken of Calvinists that I have not even heard of. He has sent me link upon link about this teacher and that one, and the one was as far gone as the next. He has also sent internet sermons that were embarrassing to watch and listen to. But Jesus who died so that anyone who accepts His gift of salvation may be saved, is not esteemed as highly as these false teachers or as some of the websites, many of which were downright offensive to a Christian!

My dear pastor was visibly upset when I asked him for advice about Leroy’s situation. Leroy and Jordan were both born-again in our small church, only two years apart! My pastor gave me some books to read on Calvinism and then gave me advice that turned out to be so helpful. He said I should read up and find out everything about it for myself so I can learn about it from the horse’s mouth. Although I had a good understanding of Calvinism before, due to an altercation I had had with a colleague years ago, reading and learning about it broadened my understanding of it even more. It is an ugly belief system, I must admit. Against my will I patiently visited and read through every website and blog that Leroy had given me and it did not take long to see who and what was poisoning him. Every site had the same message of “total depravity” and every site made excuses for sin and even condoned it, including the evil acts of Calvin himself. What was most disturbing and heartbreaking was that many of these sites were downright rude and pious and going as far as to say — and this Leroy had said so himself — that the evil acts of men were for God’s glory, and these included 9/11, the Sandy Hooks School bloodbath, the Orlando nightclub shootings and every other disaster and even the molestation of children, as shocking as that may sound! “It is God’s will,” Leroy says to all these horrible things! What kind of God would take glory from such things? Not the God of the Bible, and on a few occasions I have told Leroy that. Every time he has given me the same answer, that I don’t understand Calvinism or the “secret ways of God.”

Over time, Leroy has come to reflect the false gospel that he now believes in. Again, I am saying this because I love him, because I want to see him be freed from this terrible lie, and because there are other Leroys out there.

Before I continue I must make it clear that until a few months before he left for LA, Leroy, Jordan, and a couple of other brave youngsters, still spread the gospel in our neighborhood as was their custom. Even though our block of the city and neighborhood have had the tragic fentanyl drug plague for years, it’s known as Apache or China White on the streets, the street gangs, and the dirty clubs and its intimidating barkers, these things had never stopped Leroy from venturing out at all hours to tell everyone about Jesus Christ. He especially enjoyed weekend nights and basket ball games to tell the lost souls of the salvation that Jesus offered. Despite these dangers I never feared for his safety or for that of Jordan’s as much as I fear for Leroy’s safety now. I am talking about his spiritual safety.

He has changed. The handsome young man with the charming dark brown eyes (in his late teens, he was known as the young Denzel Washington of our specific ‘hood’) is no longer there. My real son is not behind those eyes anymore. Someone else has moved in and took his body, someone spiritually proud, arrogant, condescending, angry, and unloving. He has become unhappy and is depressed. I have noticed that he is looking down on women, as though he is superior simply by being a man. I spoke to him about that and he went into the “submission without questioning” tirade that grieved me deeply. Would he one day really treat his own wife that way? I asked him that too and he said that’s what the scriptures really teach.

I dare not list the number of insults Leroy has thrown our way since he has “found” Calvinism. There have been Easter cards that mocked Jesus, that had made fun of me, Calvinist Christmas cards, and hundreds of memes with senseless and offensive Calvinist memes. He went so far as to call me a bad mother because I had kept the “truth” from him, and he has turned red in the face on many occasions when I have asked him for some straightforward answers on simple issues like why even bother to share the gospel when god has already decided who’d be saved? “Because we don’t know who the elect are,” he answered, and that answer I’ve heard countless times from other Calvinists and have seen on blogs.

It does not even make sense! I understand my son is under someone else’s control and his normal way of thinking has been altered, and I get chest pains when I think who is responsible! He does not laugh like he used to, or talk to his brother and hang with him like he used to when he visits, he ignores his dad, he sees himself as good for nothing, which is not what the Bible teaches! He has become rude and even cusses…! And he is watching and promoting movies with extreme nude scenes and blasphemy that he’d never dream of watching before, and this because some false teacher has said there’s nothing wrong for a Christian to watch worldly things (Ephesians 4, verse 29). He has even turned his back on the music we used to listen to together. The artists he listens to now I won’t even name as there is nothing Christian or wholesome about them although these performers are found at every Calvinist conference or “event” and some of the big names in Calvinism even promote these worldly songs.

Leroy spends much of his money attending these conferences and he used to tell me about it all the time, and every time I realized that he was being led by the nose and being brainwashed. What struck me is that these conferences were obviously aimed at people within his age range. But how do I tell him that I can see he is involved with the works of darkness without pushing him away even more? On the rare visit, I have tried to talk to him, to remind him of how he had been before. I even asked him on the last visit in 2016 if he even realized that he was hurting everyone who loves him. He shrugged his shoulders.

Jordan has had words with Leroy and has demanded he apologize for the way he’d been treating my husband and I, and an apology did come forth, but even that did not last long. Jordan has been amazing and has told me over and over that Leroy will come to his senses, that he is simply star struck and following personalities and not Jesus; Leroy is caught in human idolatry. Jordan says, “It is just a phase that will pass.” He tells me that every now and then. He misses his brother so much and is planning to visit him in LA during the summer.

My dear husband has been supportive too even though he has probably been hit the hardest by all of this. He has taken it very personally, and I often find him staring at nothing. He has been patient with Leroy and has told him that our home is still his home, and that Jesus is still his Savior, and that there is no other. My husband has often asked me and I have often asked him where we’d gone wrong. But we’ve been told by wonderful friends and fellow believers that we are not to blame, that Leroy has made his own choices, and that we should not give up praying, hoping, and believing. Our son will come “home.”

For all the grieving and worried parents out there whose children have wandered away from Jesus and into Calvinism, I can say take heart! It seems to be a almost fashion like and this fad should pass. In Leroy’s case, this fad has been going on for 3 years, but it will pass. Never argue with your children about Calvinism, but speak to them gently about it by quoting the Bible and not the words of men or women.

Also, although technically it is a cult, please don’t call it one when talking to them as that will make them more determined in following after men. Never stop praying for them or loving them or showering them with kindness. Learn as much about Calvinism that you can stand and find out who the popular Calvinist and Reformed leaders are and what they teach. Remember, Calvinists have twisted every Christian phrase and word to mean something else. Above all, let them know that you love them despite everything.

Growing up, my mom and her friends had the beautiful and exciting habit of break into song whenever they got together. It was second nature for those women to sing and sing. “His eye is on the sparrow” by Mahalia Jackson was one of their favorites, and before I turned seven, I knew the words to the whole song! I know that despite the fact that Leroy has temporarily turned his back on Him and despite Leroy being blinded by Satan, God is still keeping an eye on my boy. That is the God we believe in, a God of love, forgiveness and salvation that comes through believing in His Son, Jesus Christ.

Our family’s story does not have a good ending yet, but I know it is gonna have one. Many precious people are praying for Leroy and for his girlfriend too. I thank them all. Our story will have a good ending too. I just know it. God bless y’all!

And thank you Mary for allowing me to share our story.

Loretta D. Massachusetts

 

NEW SERIES REGARDING CALVINISM AND REFORMED THEOLOGY IN LIGHT OF SCRIPTURE, STARTING SOON!

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Even though I will not be writing very much during this year because of my new ventures in the art world, trusting that God will provide for my needs in these ways, this is what you can expect here, Lord willing, on my Living4HisGlory’s Blog during 2022:

As an introduction to this new series regarding Calvinism and Reformed Theology in light of Scripture, I will be sharing a very personal testimony written by a dear sister-in-Christ about her  heart-wrenching experience regarding her dear son who became entrenched in it. Lord willing, I hope to be able to post her testimony (Loretta; not her real name) next Tuesday, January 11th, with her full permission.

For those of you who would like to share your personal experience regarding how the Lord opened your eyes to see the unbiblical nature of these teachings when compared to Scripture, please contact me and send me your written testimony and I will consider sharing it here on my blog to help others see through the lens of Scripture how you came to realize that these teachings are unbiblical and therefore you left Calvinism and Reformed Theology behind.

As I have mentioned a few times before, the main reason that I see the need to write this series is because I was contacted by at least three women through my blog requesting that I write a series on the unbiblical nature of Calvinism. At that point I was not fully aware of the teachings of Calvinism and RT and felt that it wasn’t yet time. However,  since then I have read many articles, listened to a countless number of teachings on it, tested these teachings against Scripture — in context — and have had to leave a church because of it! So Calvinism has now affected me personally and has caused me to dig into Scripture even more deeply!

I have heard firsthand the devastation that comes from veering away from Scripture and accepting the teachings of some men that distort the character and nature of God and the very gospel itself; well respected men, such as John MacArthur, John Piper, Paul Washer, etc. Therefore, I cannot put writing this series off any longer!

I will begin by sharing some testimonies along with teachings by some pastors and teachers. Then, Lord willing, towards the end of this year I will begin sharing some of John Calvin’s own teachings compared to Scripture, as well as quotations from his extensive writings in his INSTITUTES OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION and compare them to Scripture, as well.

Whether you are presently a Calvinist, an Arminian, a Catholic, etc., I hope you will consider reading these posts with your Bibles opened and your minds cleared from the teachings of men as you see Scripture in context, and not through the lens of the teachings and traditions of men.

Be assured that this series will not be an attack on Calvinists; all information will be shared in love, and the focus will be on Scripture, presented in context.

Thank you very much for stopping by today.

God Bless You

~Mary Dalke – Living4HisGlory – Reflecting His Glory Photography And Acrylic Art

A JOYOUS AND BLESSED NEW YEAR FROM LIVING4HISGLORY

Since I started this blog back in 2009, I have written many, many posts to show you the extreme importance of reading your Bible and testing the teachings of professing Christian pastors and teachers in light of Scripture. I will not be writing as much during this new year because I need to focus on my photography and making many acrylic art paintings with the hope of selling them at art and craft fairs throughout this new year. However, Lord willing, later on towards the end of this year, I do hope to begin writing a series regarding Calvinism and Reformed Theology in light of Scripture.

For those of you who have come to realize the unbiblical nature of Calvinism and Reformed Theology after testing these teachings against Scripture and have rejected them, please consider writing your testimony of how God opened your eyes to see the truth and send it to me via this CONTACT FORM, and I will consider sharing your story here on my blog in order to help other see how these teachings distort not only the very character and nature of God, but also the good news of the Biblical gospel!

Thank you very much for stopping by today and for taking time out of your busy days to stop by  to read my posts! I appreciate every one of you who have subscribed and those of you who occasionally stop by!

A Joyous And Blessed New Year to those of you who have already placed your full faith and trust only in all that Jesus Christ already did for you by living a sinless life that we could never live, by willingly dying on the cross in our place for our sins, and by rising from the dead three days later in bodily form, showing that His once for all sacrifice was sufficient to pay the debt for all of our sins and guilt in full!

For those of you who have never heard this good news of the Biblical gospel, I pray that you will get a Bible and start reading through the Gospel of John, Romans, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Hebrews (especially Chapters 7-10), 1 John, 2 John, and 3 John and ask God to reveal His love and truth to you!

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God Bless You

~Mary Dalke – Living4HisGlory – Reflecting His Glory Photography And Acrylic Art

Consider connecting with me on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/reflectinghisglory/

Photo – ‘Painted Lady Butterfly Philippians 3:13b,14…’ ©Mary K Dalke Reflecting His Glory Photography And Acrylic Art

SERMON SUNDAY – PASTOR RONNIE ROGERS OF TRINITY BAPTIST CHURCH, NORMAN, OK – PARABLE OF THE WEDDING BANQUET

This sermon, based on the parable of the wedding banquet in Matthew 22:1-14, is not available on YouTube. However, if you click directly above, you will be taken to his sermon video on Facebook.

Thank you very much for stopping by today.

God Bless You

~Mary Dalke Living4HisGlory & Reflecting His Glory – Photography And Acrylic Fluid Art

TEACHING THURSDAY – DAVE HUNT – ‘PREDESTINATION AND FREE WILL’ – THE FRIGHTENING SIMILARITIES BETWEEN ISLAM AND CALVINISM

Lord willing, and if time permits, next year I hope to start a series regarding Calvinism and how it distorts the gospel and the very nature of God. At the least I will be sharing more teachings by well respected Christian teachers and pastors who have done much more research on Calvinism, Reformed Theology, and John Calvin and his Institutes of the Christian Religion in light of Scripture than I have done so far. As always, I encourage you to get your Bibles and follow along as you listen to these teachings, being sure that you test everything against Scripture to see if what is being said is true (Acts 17:11), and in context.

If any of you are former Calvinists and would like to share your journey out of Calvinism with me, please send me a message along with your story via the CONTACT FORM and I may feature your testimony here in order to help others see the unbiblical nature of Calvinism/Reformed Theology.

Thank you very much for stopping by today.

~God Bless You

Mary Dalke – Living4HisGlory & Reflecting His Glory – Photography And Acrylic Fluid Art

SERMON SUNDAY – PASTOR RONNIE W. ROGERS – DID GOD CHOOSE TO GIVE MAN THE FREEDOM TO CHOOSE?

SERMON SUNDAY SERIES INTRODUCTION

“Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” (2 Timothy 4:2-4)

Welcome to another post in the category of posts entitled, ‘SERMON SUNDAY.’ Lord willing, at least once a month I will share a sermon with you by a well respected preacher who focuses on an important truth in Scripture in order to awaken the slumbering church, and also to alert Christians to the importance of reading and studying God’s Word. It may be a short sermon in written form, or I may present something to you in video form. I pray that when time allows, you will take the time to read or to listen to what I will be sharing with you.

I will also be sharing some expository preaching with you, but sadly, that is a very rare thing to find these days. I’m sure that many of you can attest to that undeniable fact. Sadly, many pastors today who seek to grow their churches oftentimes resort to distorting God’s Word either by taking a verse out of context, or by interjecting their own ideas into the text to make it say what they want a verse of Scripture to say (eisegesis). Sometimes a pastor will even go as far as to manipulate Scriptures in such a way so that they can preach about themselves (narcissistic eisegesis).

Then there are some pastors who just present watered down messages with very little Biblical content, and others who ‘preach’ controversial messages that will appeal to today’s culture in order to attract more people. Sadly they will continue ‘preaching’ these types of messages in order to entertain the crowd to keep them coming, rather than preaching God’s Word as they are instructed to do in order to feed and equip the sheep/saints and to expose the sin in men’s hearts so that God will grant them repentance and lead them to a knowledge of the truth.

My main goal in presenting these sermons to you is to point you to Jesus Christ and to make you realize the extreme importance of studying God’s Word and testing the teachings of everyone you listen to in light of Scripture.

Maybe you are one of those people who faithfully stand for Biblical truth and you recently had to leave your church because of what has been taking place as you have witnessed your pastor slowly drift from Biblical truth. Or maybe you left your church many years ago and you still haven’t found a church where the pastor preaches from God’s Word. If so, I have all of you in mind when posting these teachings and videos, as well.

For those who somehow find there way here, I hope and pray that you will be blessed and encouraged by the Biblical teachings that I will be sharing with you in the months ahead –Lord willing. As always, I strongly urge you to sit with your Bibles opened and test everything that is said against the truth of God’s Word to see if what is being said is true or not, (Acts 17:11) as you listen to this sermon and every sermon that you listen to as well as every book that you read –no matter how well respected a pastor or teacher may be.

The following sermon is based on these passages of Scripture: Genesis 2:16,17 and John 12:35,36:

“And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” (Genesis 2:15-17 – KJV)

“Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.” (John 12:35,36 – KJV)

Source for Scriptures: https://biblehub.com

Now for today’s SERMON SUNDAY, I  present to you, Pastor Ronnie W Rogers, Senior Pastor of Trinity Baptist Church of  Norman, OK:

Thank you very much for stopping by today.

God Bless You

~Mary Dalke – Living4HisGlory

TEACHING THURSDAY – HOW TO REACH LOVED ONES WHO ARE JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES

In this summer series that I have been presenting to you, when time allows, I have been placing the focus on the Jehovah’s Witnesses because they are the ones who are most frequently seen faithfully coming to homes fervently sharing the message given to them by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society to pass on to us. As sincere as these precious people are, they have been led to believe many untruths about salvation and who Jesus Christ is, and therefore have no understanding of the glorious good news of the Biblical gospel and the fact that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh, as Scripture very clearly reveals if one takes the time to read it and study it without adding man’s interpretation of Scripture to a text. God’s Word is also spiritually discerned; it is the Holy Spirit who opens our eyes to understand the truth of God’s Word, not man’s intellect.

In the teaching series below, Tim Barnett gives many Scriptures to show Jehovah’s Witnesses that Jesus Christ and Jehovah God are distinct, yet one in nature and essence, and that they are not separate Gods — Jesus Christ being the lesser god — as The New World Translation renders John 1:1, leading them to wrongly believe: “In the beginning the Word was, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god.”

I pray that when time allows, you will consider listening to these presentations, and be sure to test everything that is said in light of Scripture as we are always to do –no matter who it is that we are listening to.

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RELATED SCRIPTURES

“And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.” (John 20:28)

“And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape. And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not. Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.” (John 5:37-40)

“In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? He that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?” (John 14:2-9)

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:8-10)

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:5-11)

“Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.” (Colossians 1:12-17)

“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail. But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool? Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?” (Hebrews 1:1-14)

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NOTE: Please do not consider me posting these videos as being an endorsement of Tim Barnett. I just came across his teachings for the first time last week. As good as his presentations are, I have one major concern:

Tim Barnett is part of a ministry called, Stand To Reason,a ministry in which many of different theological persuasions are also a part of (according to the video of Greg Koukl below). Tim Barnett is convinced by Scripture that Calvinism and Reformed Theology are not Biblical (which is what I firmly believe), whereas Greg Koukl, the president of Stand To Reason ministry, is a five point Calvinist. I find it rather concerning that Tim Barnett is involved in ministry with someone who is a Calvinist, when he, Tim Barnett, is completely against Calvinism, as you can see if you take the time to listen to the video below, but I pray that God will use him to share His Word to expose the errors of Calvinism whenever he speaks out of his desire to “earnestly contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.” (Jude 3)  We must each do our own research and be responsible for whom we choose to listen to. We must also make sure to “examine the Scriptures daily to see if what is being said — and written — is true,”  (Acts 17:11) and in context. It is because I listened to Tim Barnett’s teachings and tested them against Scripture and found them to be Biblically solid, that I am sharing them with you, but I knew that I needed to make my valid concern known to you because I find it very troubling and I don’t want to mislead anyone.

I have some Calvinist friends, and care about them very much, but I am against the teachings of Calvinism and Reformed Theology (as well as Arminianism), because these teachings distort the Word of God and the nature and character of God using human reasoning and the philosophies of men, and presents a God that is contrary to how He is clearly revealed in Scripture. However, I will have to wait to share that information with you until, Lord willing, I have the time to write at length about Calvinism and Reformed Theology and compare these teachings to Scripture after I get enough time to first complete the many series that I still desire to do concerning Catholicism in light of Scripture.

Greg Koukl

RELATED VIDEO EXPLAINING THE ERRORS OF CALVINISM

UPDATE:

I am still helping my family prepare my Mom and Dad’s home to be sold, and in the near future we will be having our final four days of Estate Sales to try and sell the remaining of our parent’s treasures that we did not take. We are presently in the process of choosing a company that buys homes for cash and may choose one in just a few days. So there is still a lot of work ahead for me and my family. Your prayers for God’s wisdom and guidance  would be greatly appreciated. It will be at least another month — or possibly even two months — before I am able to begin writing lengthy posts again. Thank you for your patience.

Thank you very much for stopping by and taking time out of your busy day to read some of my posts and poems. I will not be taking comments at this time since my time is even more limited now, but I sincerely appreciate every one of you who takes the time to stop by here every now and then.

God Bless You

~Mary/Living4HisGlory

SURVEY SATURDAY

Normally I add a pole to each SURVEY SATURDAY post for you and ask you to please vote on a certain question that I present to you, but this time I am going to try something different.

These surveys help me immensely as I prepare to write something, because I don’t want to waste my time writing something that those of you who read this blog from time to time aren’t interested in reading. However, reaching precious Catholics with the truth from God’s Word is my highest priority right now, so you will continue to see posts that expose some of the very concerning teachings that Catholicism presents to their people. Lord willing, as I mentioned to you before, as soon as I finish this present series on the Alleged Apparitions of the Virgin Mary, I will get back to writing posts in which I will continue to compare many of the teachings from the Catechism of the Catholic Church to a Catholic Bible just to show precious Catholics the errors in their teachings that they need to be aware of. Many of them will come to the point of experiencing a crisis of faith because they will have to decide if they are going to choose to believe the Word of God (the Bible) or continue to place their trust in the word of man (Traditions of the Catholic Church) when they see the truth presented to them and how it contradicts God’s Word.

Most importantly, however, I will be continuing that series in order to reveal to Catholics the truly good news of the Biblical gospel that is hidden from them but made very clear in their Scriptures if only they would read them for themselves and allow God to reveal the truth to them just as He began to do for me back in 1980.

As I also mentioned to you in at least one of my previous posts, my desire is also to begin writing posts in which I will be testing the teachings of Reformed Theology and Calvinism against Scripture after I finish writing the many series that I am presently writing concerning Catholicism. I am neither a Calvinist, nor am I an Arminian –or a Universalist. And I am not a hypocrite as I was basically called recently. Yes, I added a few links to posts written by known Calvinists who were exposing some false teachings or something concerning mysticism, but at the time I shared them I either did not know they were Reformed in their theology, or I simply shared them to give proper credit to them as the source by which I came to discover the serious matter that I posted about. A couple of months ago I went back and removed the post in which I shared teachings by Phil Johnson, Steve Lawson, and another pastor involved with John MacArthur. I had no idea what Calvinism and Reformed Theology taught at the time that I shared some of the things that I did in the past, but after coming to realize how these teachings distort Scripture and oftentimes presents another gospel and another Jesus, as well as perverts the very character of the God of the Bible, I realized that I needed to remove them. When time allows I will go back and delete more videos and remove entire posts so that I do not mislead anyone or cause anyone to think that I am double-minded or hypocritical.

Now for the survey and the new way in which I will present this to you:

For those of you who would be willing to participate, would you please simply leave a comment below and tell me what you would like to see me write about here during this New Year? Or if you’d prefer, please send me a very brief message with your request and I will try to answer you as soon as possible. If time allows me to do so, and if it is something that I agree to do, I would be happy to write about anything that you may find troubling as you seek to walk in truth and follow after Jesus Christ alone in the midst of so much spiritual deception that is out there today.

Thank you very much for stopping by and taking time out of your busy day to read some of my posts and poems.

God Bless You

~Mary/Living4HisGlory

 

UPDATE:

I am still doing further research and trying to find time to add more information to my previous post concerning the “sacred heart” of Jesus, but I am rather behind because of other responsibilities and because of encountering another new series of computer problems! Ugh! Technology!

Use this form directly below to contact me privately with your requests. You will find where to share your request publicly by looking further below this form where it says, “Leave a Reply.”

Thank you in advance!

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TEACHING THURSDAY – DEBATE – WHAT IS THE BIBLICAL VIEW CONCERNING MAN’S FREE WILL?

As I have mentioned to you in a few posts over this past year, Lord willing, as soon as I get the time to finish the different series that I am doing concerning Catholicism and the Alleged Apparitions of the Virgin Mary, I am hoping to begin a series on Calvinism and Reformed Theology in light of Scripture. In light of that, I thought this debate that a dear sister-in-Christ let us know on Facebook was being live streamed would be a good video to share with all of you today for a Teaching Thursday post to make some of you who are not fully aware of some of the teachings of Calvinism and Reformed Theology come to understand some of the beliefs that they hold to. The speakers for this debate that will be presenting their position on man’s Free Will from the reformed view is not typical of most Calvinists; most Calvinists are known to be polite and respectful, though some can be harsh and unfair in their attitudes and statements at times, like James White. However, what you will hear from Dr. Sonny Hernandez, and especially from Dr.  Theodore Zachariades, is a lack of self-control and a lot of yelling, and a change in what they claimed to believe concerning man’s free will during the discussions and online interactions they  all had  before this debate took place. Leighton Flowers and Jonathan Pritchett who represented the Traditionalist point of view did an excellent job of staying in control under such shock and pressure and exhibited God’s grace towards Sonny and Theodore, and Leighton and Johnathan also kept them on point. This is one debate that you will not be  bored listening to! Above all, I pray that you will learn the importance of truly having a Biblical perspective on every theological issue, and not just accept a  teaching because it is being taught by someone who has been known to be a well respected teacher for many years. We must constantly compare Scripture with Scripture and look at it in its context and grammatical structure to determine the Biblical meaning of a verse, and not simply accept man’s interpretation of a verse!

Here is the video description:

Published on Nov 4, 2017

“Dr. Leighton Flowers and Dr. Johnathan Pritchett (Traditionalists) debate Dr. Sonny Hernandez and Dr. Theodore Zachariades (Calvinists) over the doctrine of Free Will. Things become a bit contentious in the CX when Theodore and Sonny disavow the London Baptist Confession’s statement on free will (Chapter 9) since prior to the debate Leighton and Johnathan were told they affirmed it. This cause much unnecessary confusion and contention. On July 18th, an email with all parties copied, Sonny said, “Hey Leighton, The best way to summarize our position would be to review the 1689 London Baptist Confession or the Westminster Confession of Faith (See Free will).” And even after Leighton literally copied and pasted chapter 9 (the one on Free Will) into the email and asking specifically what they affirmed, Sonny wrote back to all parties (including Theodore), “Leighton, what you see in the confession is what we affirm…” Leighton put up a live video on the Soteriology 101 facebook page showing all these emails for his followers to read for themselves. Things also became unnecessarily heated when Theodore called his opponents “brothers” and then retracted that statement saying they were merely “opponents” and that he wasn’t sure they were actual “brothers” due to their view of grace.”

Thank you very much for stopping by and taking time out of your busy day to read some of my posts and poems.

God Bless You

~Mary/Living4HisGlory

RELATED SCRIPTURES

“Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. (Joshua 24:14,15)

“And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” (Genesis 2:16,17)

“Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.” (Isaiah 55:6,7)

“And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape. And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not. Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.” (John 5:37-40)

“When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me,” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived it gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is full grown, gives birth to death.” (James 1:13-15)

“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God –children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” (John 1:12,13)

“But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:8,9)

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