Sandra Jean (3 Dec 2012)
"Gino and Feedback"


Gino, what I appreciate about you and others here is your maturity and your desire to seek and know His truth.  So the question is...Calvinism (God chose you) vs. Arminianism (you choose God)?  My understanding is that Calvinism emphasizes the sovereignty of God, while Arminianism emphasizes the responsibility of man.  I don't consider myself a Calvinist as I'd like to believe God draws all people to Him (2nd Peter 3:9), but He also fully knows who will respond to His call and who are His sheep.  Nor am I an Arminian as I believe in the simplicity of the gospel and that we are all sinners saved by His grace through our faith (His gift btw) and not by works lest any of us boast. 
 
Personally, I like what Dr. David Reagan of Lamb & Lion Ministries has to say about this subject and you may too. "But whom did God choose? Was it specific individuals? The scriptures do not say that. The so-called proof texts for predestination simply establish the fact that God foreordained that those who put their faith in Him would be saved."  http://www.lamblion.com/articles/articles_doctrines3.php  
 
John 6:44. "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him and I will raise him up at the last day."  Although previously enamored with anything New Age, I began again (think I was 25) my search for and basic understanding of: "Who are you, God?"  (Raised a Protestant with infrequent church attendance, the only person of legitimate faith in my life was my favorite aunt...great aunt...who was a farmer's wife.)   At about the same time, I relocated to another city and began to date a twice-divorced civil engineer and a Christian.  
 
I started taking out various "faith-based" books from the Library, but my primary reads were books by Catherine Marshall.  One of her books deeply moved me and alone in my apartment, I got down on my knees...in tears...and silently thanked this unknown God for His goodness to this newly-widowed woman of faith.  Immediately, I was flooded with a supernatural outpouring of liquid love, hard to adequately put into words, like glorious, joyful liquid love to the nth degree being poured out on my head and covering my whole being.  This went on for a few minutes and because this was supernatural and so foreign to me, I became anxious and asked...again silently...that it stop...and it did immediately.  But I was strongly impressed at the time that God was pleased with me and that really touched my heart.  I also had an overwhelming desire to read the Bible and did twice from cover to cover in a short span of time.  Besides giving me a heart for the supernatural, God also providentially and a few years later, put me in Bible studies year-after-year with Berean Baptists where emphasis was on His Word.  (If it's not in His Word, reject it.) 
 
I wish I could say I became a forever Saint after the above experience, but I can't.  In fact at one point the boyfriend wanted to get married, but I suggested we live together and we did.  So a real flop as a Saint, but I nonetheless considered myself a believer and that God would "understand."  In other words, I compromised His Word and wanted my own way...not His.  (Have always wondered...if I died, would I have gone to heaven or hell?)
 
Mathew 11:28-29 "Come unto Me all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me for I am gentle and lowly in heart and I will give you rest."  Speeding up here...and fast forward.  Moved back home, met the love of my life (teacher and farmer), and later Billy Graham Crusades came to town.   Attended with family members, went forward to acknowledge my sins and rededicate my life to Christ, six months later got baptized.  Even then it was awhile before I turned every part of my life over to Jesus Christ, His Lordship, one day at a time.  Have been called a stubborn Swede, but I finally came to the point where I was done with my will and wanted only Him, His will, His love, His Word, His guidance and direction forever.  And this is why I appreciate the writings of John MacArthur and A.W. Tozer
 
Hope this all makes sense and pray I don't offend anyone.  God is good!