Jerry, It is the highest of all holy days for those who are reformed. If your child is born on that day you have guaranteed assurance that your children are saved once and forever. And if you believe that this is what I believe than I have succeeded in fooling you. Peace, Steve Jerry wrote: > Derick, > > >>For the record, my oldest two share the same birthday as John > Calvin. When I first found out, after the birth of my first one, I > thought it appropriate. > > Appropriate????? In what regard? Why is that date of significance > for your kids any more than the fact that it is also the birthday of > other famous people as well? > > Jerry > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > *From:* Derick Dickens <mailto:derickdickens@...> > *To:* pastorsforum@... <mailto:pastorsforum@...> > *Sent:* Wednesday, July 11, 2007 10:25 AM > *Subject:* Re: [PastorsForum] Happy Birthday John!!!! > > For the record, my oldest two share the same birthday as John > Calvin. When I first found out, after the birth of my first one, > I thought it appropriate. > > On 7/11/07, *Kevin Sigafoos* <ksigafoos@... > <mailto:ksigafoos@...>> wrote: > > Hey Jerry, > > On 7/11/07, Jerry <jlew@... > <mailto:jlew@...>> wrote: > > > > Jerry says, > > I would say that I was predestined as part of the Church, > "before the > > foundation of the world." > > I was reborn when I heard the gospel and chose to believe it > and chose to > > receive Christ as my Savior. > > We are saying the same things. Only, why did you choose to > receive > Christ as Savior? Where did that faith come from? Was it > something > from within yourself or was it from God? > > > > Faith came into my heart when I heard the gospel. Faith > always comes with > > the Word of God. > > Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of > God (Rom10:17). > > When I acted on the promise of the Word, I was transformed > from the inside > > out. > > Agreed. Same questions as before, though. Why did you > believe? Why > did you act on the promise? Why do some who hear the Word of > God not > believe? Did you transform yourself or did God transform you by > giving you new life? > > > > > Did Calvin give invitations for people to receive Christ? > > As far as I know, he did. He wrote: > > "Since we do not know who belongs to the number of the > predestined and > who does not, it befits us so to feel as to wish that all be > saved. So > it will come about that, whoever we come across, we shall > study to > make him a sharer of peace . . . even severe rebuke will be > administered like medicine, lest they should perish or cause > others to > perish. But it will be for God to make it effective in those > whom He > foreknew and predestined." > > (John Calvin, Concerning the Eternal Predestination of God, > trans. J. > K. S. Reid (London: James Clarke and Co., Limited, 1961), p. 138) > > And commenting on 1 Tim 2:4, Calvin says: "there is no people > and no > rank in the world that is excluded from salvation; because God > wishes > that the gospel should be proclaimed to all without exception." > > (John Calvin, Calvin's Commentaries, Ephesians - Jude > (Wilmington, DE: > Associated Publishers and Authors, n.d.), 2172.) > > Calvin's Geneva became a missionary hub for Protestants escaping > persecution in Catholic Europe. Literally, hundreds of men > were sent > from Geneva as missionaries to France, Germany, Holland, > Scotland, and > Italy. There was even one group of missionaries sent to Brazil in > 1556, two hundred and thirty seven years before William Carrey > sailed > for India! > > > > > > Why is it that Calvinistic churches, like Presbyterians, and > other high > > churches, never give invitations or alter calls? > > Jerry, that is such a broad, sweeping statement that it is > insulting! > It is completely without basis and, frankly, it displays your > ignorance. > > Many Calvinistic churches do not use the emotionally-driven, > manipulative, techniques developed by Finney in order to > produce fake > conversions. But ALL of the Calvinistic churches that I > personally > know give invitations to unbelievers to receive Christ. Just > listen > to ONE of Mark Dever's sermons. You will hear at least one > invitation > in every sermon. Many times, Mark gives more than one invitation. > Listen to John Piper's sermons. Is he not evangelistic? How > about > Evangelism Explosion and Dr. James Kennedy? How about > Spurgeon? Come > on, Jerry! The myth that Calvinists are not evangelical has been > exposed so many times it is ridiculous and you should know better. > > > > -- > > Grace and peace, > Kevin Sigafoos > --------------------- > For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be > glory forever. Amen. (Rom 11:36) > > To subscribe, send a message to: > pastorsforum-join@... > <mailto:pastorsforum-join@...> > > To unsubscribe, send a message to: > pastorsforum-unsubscribe@... > <mailto:pastorsforum-unsubscribe@...> > > > > > -- > Derick R. Dickens > www.thedickensfamily.org <http://www.thedickensfamily.org> > > > To subscribe, send a message to: pastorsforum-join@... > > To unsubs > cribe, send a message to: pastorsforum-unsubscribe@... > > > > -- ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Pastor Steven G. Rockhill Lisbon Reformed Presbyterian Church PO Box 88 Lisbon, NY 13658 315-393-9041 revrock@... http://lisbonrpc.port5.com +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++