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Author Topic: PastorMarkDarling.com and those giving glory to Mark are adulterous.  (Read 6866 times)
Gracetoyou
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« on: July 23, 2018, 05:33:37 am »

Glory to God Alone. When followers of Mark Darlig post story’s about owing their salvation to Mark they are saying that God then shares His glory with a creature. It’s a sin that cannot be igonored.

“I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols.” Mark darling is that carved idol to them.

- Isaiah 42:8
If you study the final sola of the Reformation, it is the one that sums up the point of all the others. The truth that the Reformers were most concerned to promote and what can be seen as the central theme of Scripture is soli Deo gloria — to GOD ALONE be the glory.

The first question and answer of the Westminster Shorter Catechism tells us that “man’s chief end is to glorify God (not Mark), and to enjoy him for ever.” God’s glory is the highest good and therefore is the purpose for which we were created. We were made to glorify Him (not Mark or any Pastor), to reflect His glory and proclaim it to all creation (Isa. 43:6–7). In saving His people and defeating their enemies, His glory is displayed (Ex. 14). Salvation must be sola fide (faith alone), sola gratia (grace alone), and solus Christus — (Christr alone) through faith alone, by grace alone, and on account of Christ alone — because to attribute redemption to our efforts (arminian theology instead of reformed theology) or to any man (Mark Darling in this situation) in any way is to ROB GOD OF HIS FULL GLORY. If God and God alone is not the one who saves, then He shares His glory with creatures. But as the prophet Isaiah tells us, God will share His glory with no one (42:Cool. Sola Scriptura — Scripture alone is the final, infallible authority — must be the church’s confession. If any other source is placed on par with or above the Bible, then the Word of God is no better than the fallible words of creatures, and therefore the one who superintended the writing of the Bible is mocked.

We often think of the Reformation as involving only a doctrinal dispute, but for John Calvin and others, the purity of worship was a major concern as well. Calvin and others took seriously the teaching in Romans 1:18–32 that the basic sin of humanity is its refusal to honor God as God and thank Him for all that He has given us. Instead of bowing the knee to the Almighty, we suppress knowledge of Him and make all sorts of lesser gods.

Some idolatry is crass, such as the worship of trees or nature. Other forms of idolatry are more refined, such as the exaltation of human reason above divine revelation. But any time we substitute something else for the God of the Bible, we attempt to have Him share His glory with another. Any time we deny one of His attributes, we conceive of Him as less than the sovereign Lord of all.  
« Last Edit: July 23, 2018, 06:02:47 am by Gracetoyou » Logged
looking4answers
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« Reply #1 on: July 23, 2018, 06:34:45 am »

I think it is normal for people to hold in high esteem those that have worked, or sacrificed to share the gospel with us.  Most people will hold a special place in their heart for that person who built into their life and shared the gospel with them for the first time.  Our job is to share, to go and make disciples.  Us, people, share the good news of Christ but all the power and glory is God's.  I see nothing wrong, or sinful, for recognizing those people who make it their life work to advance the gospel.  But it is all for the Glory God.

Who first shared the gospel with you?  And what kind words and love would you have for this person ?
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Gracetoyou
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« Reply #2 on: July 23, 2018, 07:09:10 am »

I will venture to say that most Christians don’t know how God saved them. I don’t mean how God paid for their sins, but how he brought them to faith. That means many Christians miss out on the benefits of knowing this and make men idols of thier salvation.

1.) God saved us by raising us from spiritual death, opening the eyes of our blind hearts, and giving us the gift of faith. Let it sink in now from God’s word, that he did this, not you nor Mark Darling.

2.) You did not save yourself and Mark saved nobody. You did not open your blind eyes nor did Mark for anyone, or raise yourself from the dead, or create your own faith. All of it was owing to God’s sovereign grace. You may have resisted this for a long time (as Acts 7:51 says), but, if you love Christ, God overcame your resistance and brought you to himself. What was impossible for you, God did. “With man it is impossible, but not with God” (Mark 10:27).

Six Benefits from Knowing How God Saved You

1.Knowing how God saved you enables you to feel a fitting thankfulness to God not man (Mark a darling). You can’t be thankful for what God did, if you think you or Mark Darling did it (Romans 6:17). Just like you cannot love both God and Money the same is true about our salvation.

2.Knowing how God saved you enables you to admire and worship the freeness of God’s saving grace (Ephesians 2:5), the greatness of his particular love (Ephesians 2:4), and the sweetness of his overpowering strength (1 Corinthians 1:18).

3.Knowing how God saved you teaches you to live and serve in the ongoing supply of that same empowering grace. “Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? . . . Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith” (Galatians 3:3–5). “Serve by the strength that God supplies” (1 Peter 4:11).

4.Knowing how God saved you shows you that you are to evangelize others with the expectation that he must do the decisive work, not you. In evangelism your witness is indispensible, but God’s work is decisive (1 Corinthians 3:5–7).

5.Knowing how God saved you gives you hope for the hardest of sinners and the most resistant mission field. “For all things are possible with God” (Mark 10:27).

6.Knowing how God saved you reminds you that you have a stunning testimony to share. You were blind, but now you see. You were dead, but now you are alive. You were unbelieving, but now you embrace Jesus as supremely beautiful and desirable. You can share this not on the flimsy authority of your memory of it (which may not even exist), but on the unsurpassed authority of God. And it is not boring. Being raised from the dead can never be boring.



Marks supporters aren’t nearly posting things like “Mark was a nice man who talked about God,” they say things like “Mark played a role in leading me to Christ (blasphemy, and idolatry according to the Scripures)
« Last Edit: July 23, 2018, 07:20:22 am by Gracetoyou » Logged
Linda
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« Reply #3 on: July 23, 2018, 07:12:34 am »

Holding someone in high esteem and having respect for someone is not the same thing as making someone your "spiritual master" which is something that Mark taught.

Having a special place in your heart for a person who has helped you grow in your faith is not the same as surrendering your will to that person.

Submitting to the Word of God and something? Whatever that something is if it's not God would be an idol.

It is false teaching to suggest that someone give the controls of their life to a pastor.
This is heresy.
This is putting a pastor in the place of God.
This is idolatry.

A
Quote from: Mark Darling
I had to decide, would I allow someone else to be my trainer, my spiritual master, so to speak.

Quote from: Mark Darling
I have surrendered my will, not only to God, but I have surrendered it to this movement called Great Commission Churches. I've surrendered to John Hopler. to Rick Whitney. To Tom Short who I work with. I've surrendered it to Hershel Martindale. I've surrendered it to Brent Knox. I have submitted myself.

Quote from: Mark Darling
and so we submit to the Word of God and we submit to the Word of God as it comes through the mouth of those who are responsible before God for our lives…

Quote from: Brent Knox
And so even to give the controls over to God, that's hard, but the real kicker here is God is saying, "give the controls over to people that I work through, and these people are fallible, these people make mistakes, these people are weak at times. You-outta work through it anyway," that's what God says.
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« Reply #4 on: July 23, 2018, 08:57:50 pm »

Lookingforanswers, I hold the person who shared with me in high esteem so I get your point. I ignored them and they kept loving me. I am so thankful they didn't give up. It is hard to take a step of obedience and put yourself out there. Sharing the gospel is a step of faith. What if none of us do it? Lives wouldn't be changed. Of course, God does the changing and prepares out hearts but we do the work. I can totally see how people would love Mark for his sacrifice and concern. This doesn't take away his sin but his obedience to God has changed lives and many were saved. Nothing will ever change that. We read books and watch movies about missionaries. Why is this? We aren't worshiping them and making them Gods. We are inspired by their faith. Mark inspired many people.
It would be nice to see the actual context of the quotes above by Linda. It is hard to discern the truth if things may be taken out of context and you only have a sentence dissected from an hour message. Sorry... Good dissections though....you must have spent a lot of time finding those. I just don't care to make a judgement from a little snippet. Just personal preferences I guess. It can get confusing out of context
« Last Edit: July 23, 2018, 10:15:53 pm by .... » Logged
looking4answers
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« Reply #5 on: July 23, 2018, 09:44:07 pm »

Romans 5:6,8-10
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly...but God shows his love for us while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  Since, therefore, we have now been justified by His blood, much more shall  we  be saved by him from the wrath of God.  For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his son,much more, now that  we  are  reconciled shall  we be saved by his life.
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« Reply #6 on: July 23, 2018, 09:55:53 pm »

Thank you for this verse. Some people sow and some reap. I am thankful to both in my life. God used them to save me. We will all be able to stand before the Lord, sinners that we are...
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looking4answers
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« Reply #7 on: July 23, 2018, 10:06:22 pm »

Romans 5:6,8-10
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly...but God shows his love for us while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  Since, therefore, we have now been justified by His blood, much more shall  we  be saved by him from the wrath of God.  For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his son,much more, now that  we  are  reconciled shall  we be saved by his life.
I feel what I have said has been twisted to fit a narrative.  This is terribly unfair and deceptive.  I fully grasp how Christ saves. I fully understand the Gospel and the powerful name of Jesus.  Because someone is thankful to an earthly human for guiding them to the gospel does not take away from who God is or his amazing power to save. This is not sin.
So my question was not answered, who is someone in your life that helped to point you to the Gospel, someone God used to bring you the Salvation of Christ?  Is being thankful that God brought that person into your life sinful?  God used several people to bring me to him.  I am so very thankful for each of their roles in my life, and how amazingly God orchestrated these people to reach me.  How is that idolatry? In His perfect timing I was reconciled to him, through my free will choice to embrace the gospel and not the person, or people that God used in my life. 
 
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« Reply #8 on: July 23, 2018, 10:11:47 pm »

I am so sorry. I think you misunderstood me. I don't want to name names because they are known to this group but I agree with you 100 percent. I am very thankful and think of them often. If you read my above posts maybe it will clarify. That would explain the many kind words given to Mark. Nothing will take away all he has done thru the Lord and for the Lord.
« Last Edit: July 23, 2018, 10:17:07 pm by .... » Logged
Linda
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« Reply #9 on: July 23, 2018, 10:30:58 pm »

Here you go.

Didn’t take much time at all to find because I have it filed in my mind palace.

Text Mark Darling used was 1 Peter 5: 1-3

1 So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed:
2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly;
3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.

Here is what Mark said:

…Why is that verse in there? Do you know why? Because when it comes to surrendering yourself, and yielding to another, you're going to have worries about it. And that verse, if you're going to read it Biblically in context, the context is your worry associated with the surrender and the deference you are showing to those who are over you in the Lord…I knew that I needed to place myself under the leadership of men who were living exemplary lives who could train me to be what God wanted me to be…we don't tend to view what Hebrews 13:17 says very seriously, "Obey your spiritual leaders and submit to their authority for they keep watch over your souls as one who must give an account"…He's asking Mark, the rebel, to submit himself not only to God. See it's easy to say I submit to God, but do you know how we know that you submit to God, you know how I knew if I was submitting to God? I was willing to submit to the spiritual authority in my life and listen to what they had to say and apply what they told me and seek to implement the instruction of my trainers…I had to decide, would I allow someone else to be my trainer, my spiritual master, so to speak. Would I embrace and follow the teaching and instruction of my leaders as they followed Christ? Would I place myself under the God given authority of my elders? Would I defer to them and let them mold me. This would demonstrate my submission to God because Christ asked me to do it…The question is, "What will you do with what your overseer says?" I made my choice. This was the single most important decision I made and have continued to make. I have surrendered my will, not only to God, but I have surrendered it to this movement called Great Commission Churches. I've surrendered to John Hopler. to Rick Whitney. To Tom Short who I work with. I've surrendered it to Hershel Martindale. I've surrendered it to Brent Knox. I have submitted myself. I am but a slave. I would never trust anyone but a fellow slave to lead me. Do you understand that? I would never trust anyone but a fellow slave who understands that mindset…and so we submit to the Word of God and we submit to the Word of God as it comes through the mouth of those who are responsible before God for our lives…but if you don't submit to the teaching of a trainer, of someone who God has placed in your life, to grow you, to direct you, to build you, and defer to what they are sharing…the way I demonstrate to you that Christ is my life is that you are my life. This body of churches that I work with, they are my life. This isn't a job to me…I eat it, sleep it, breathe it, drink it. I am your slave…I'd like you to bow your heads this evening and I guess you could call this my birthday message to you. I really, really care about you. I really care about you. I love you. My life is for service to you…Father, this is for these young men and women as it says in Jeremiah and Lamentations, actually, it's good for a man, it's good for a young man to bear the yoke in his youth, there is no oxen that's worth anything that will not be yoked with another and plow a field. We eat the ones that don't submit to the yoke. Father, we never read about the horses out in the wild. We read about the horses that have submitted themselves to the training, and often times the difficult training of another. I pray, Heavenly Father, that you give us tonight in this church, the heart, and the will, and the spirit to say, "Lord, here is my life, I submit it to you, I submit it to the spiritual authorities that you have in my life, train me, lead me, guide me, mold me instruct me, like you did your Son…"
« Last Edit: July 24, 2018, 06:09:02 am by Linda » Logged

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OneOfMany
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« Reply #10 on: July 24, 2018, 05:55:27 am »

Here you go.

Didn’t take much time at all to find because I have it filed in my mind palace.

Text was 1 Peter 5: 1-3

1 So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed:
2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly;
3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.

…Why is that verse in there? Do you know why? Because when it comes to surrendering yourself, and yielding to another, you're going to have worries about it. And that verse, if you're going to read it Biblically in context, the context is your worry associated with the surrender and the deference you are showing to those who are over you in the Lord…I knew that I needed to place myself under the leadership of men who were living exemplary lives who could train me to be what God wanted me to be…we don't tend to view what Hebrews 13:17 says very seriously, "Obey your spiritual leaders and submit to their authority for they keep watch over your souls as one who must give an account"…He's asking Mark, the rebel, to submit himself not only to God. See it's easy to say I submit to God, but do you know how we know that you submit to God, you know how I knew if I was submitting to God? I was willing to submit to the spiritual authority in my life and listen to what they had to say and apply what they told me and seek to implement the instruction of my trainers…I had to decide, would I allow someone else to be my trainer, my spiritual master, so to speak. Would I embrace and follow the teaching and instruction of my leaders as they followed Christ? Would I place myself under the God given authority of my elders? Would I defer to them and let them mold me. This would demonstrate my submission to God because Christ asked me to do it…The question is, "What will you do with what your overseer says?" I made my choice. This was the single most important decision I made and have continued to make. I have surrendered my will, not only to God, but I have surrendered it to this movement called Great Commission Churches. I've surrendered to John Hopler. to Rick Whitney. To Tom Short who I work with. I've surrendered it to Hershel Martindale. I've surrendered it to Brent Knox. I have submitted myself. I am but a slave. I would never trust anyone but a fellow slave to lead me. Do you understand that? I would never trust anyone but a fellow slave who understands that mindset…and so we submit to the Word of God and we submit to the Word of God as it comes through the mouth of those who are responsible before God for our lives…but if you don't submit to the teaching of a trainer, of someone who God has placed in your life, to grow you, to direct you, to build you, and defer to what they are sharing…the way I demonstrate to you that Christ is my life is that you are my life. This body of churches that I work with, they are my life. This isn't a job to me…I eat it, sleep it, breathe it, drink it. I am your slave…I'd like you to bow your heads this evening and I guess you could call this my birthday message to you. I really, really care about you. I really care about you. I love you. My life is for service to you…Father, this is for these young men and women as it says in Jeremiah and Lamentations, actually, it's good for a man, it's good for a young man to bear the yoke in his youth, there is no oxen that's worth anything that will not be yoked with another and plow a field. We eat the ones that don't submit to the yoke. Father, we never read about the horses out in the wild. We read about the horses that have submitted themselves to the training, and often times the difficult training of another. I pray, Heavenly Father, that you give us tonight in this church, the heart, and the will, and the spirit to say, "Lord, here is my life, I submit it to you, I submit it to the spiritual authorities that you have in my life, train me, lead me, guide me, mold me instruct me, like you did your Son…"

This quote chills me to the Bone! These control messages were frequent. Submit to us, do what we say, or you are not following God. Brent Knox likes to put the fear of death into it by talking about the ground swallowing people up or people withering away and dying if they are not productive.
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Linda
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« Reply #11 on: July 24, 2018, 06:24:03 am »

Quote from: Mark Darling
I have surrendered my will, not only to God, but I have surrendered it to this movement called Great Commission Churches. I've surrendered to John Hopler. to Rick Whitney. To Tom Short who I work with. I've surrendered it to Hershel Martindale. I've surrendered it to Brent Knox. I have submitted myself. I am but a slave. I would never trust anyone but a fellow slave to lead me. Do you understand that?
I guess he is no longer submitting his will to Brent Knox or this movement called Great Commission Churches.

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Gracetoyou
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« Reply #12 on: July 24, 2018, 08:42:12 am »

Romans 5:6,8-10
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly...but God shows his love for us while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  Since, therefore, we have now been justified by His blood, much more shall  we  be saved by him from the wrath of God.  For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his son,much more, now that  we  are  reconciled shall  we be saved by his life.
I feel what I have said has been twisted to fit a narrative.  This is terribly unfair and deceptive.  I fully grasp how Christ saves. I fully understand the Gospel and the powerful name of Jesus.  Because someone is thankful to an earthly human for guiding them to the gospel does not take away from who God is or his amazing power to save. This is not sin.
So my question was not answered, who is someone in your life that helped to point you to the Gospel, someone God used to bring you the Salvation of Christ?  Is being thankful that God brought that person into your life sinful?  God used several people to bring me to him.  I am so very thankful for each of their roles in my life, and how amazingly God orchestrated these people to reach me.  How is that idolatry? In His perfect timing I was reconciled to him, through my free will choice to embrace the gospel and not the person, or people that God used.

“My Free will.” That’s the major difference we have as I take it you hold to the Arminian view vs the Reformed views. You believed than that it’s your self determination that saves you (ie a form of works). For example you here a message feel convicted and than raise your hand to accept Christ as Lord. So Wesleyans and Arminians insist that for a person to believe on Christ and be saved divine influence is, indeed, necessary. They call it prevenient grace: grace that has come before our faith and, thus, influences us toward Christ. But this influence on the Wesleyan and Arminian understanding cannot be decisive. The final and decisive and ultimate cause of our believing Christ is not the Holy Spirit. It is not divine grace. It is our own input. God may get the process of conversion started, but the decisive influence is provided by ourselves. This is what is meant by free will on this definition. It is ultimate or decisive self-determination.

Unconditional election In Ephesians 1, Paul says, “[God] chose us in [Christ] before the foundation of the world. . . . In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will” (Ephesians 1:4, 11). It is the “counsel of God’s will” that is eternally decisive in this affair.

What will you say to God at the judgment if he asks, “Why did you believe on my Son while others didn’t?” You will not say, “Because I was smarter.” No. Surely you will say, “Because of your grace. Had you not chosen me, I would have been left spiritually dead, unresponsive, guilty.”
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