Sunday showdown: Both parties look to sway fence-sitters for this weekend's healthcare vote 
Click to Print
Include Comments
Why Marvin Olasky?
That’s the question John Piper answers in this video, explaining why he invited WORLD Editor in Chief Marvin Olasky to speak at the Desiring God 2009 National Conference, “With Calvin in the Theater of God,” September 25-27:
Here’s another video from Desiring God featuring Marvin sharing his testimony:
HT: Abraham Piper at the Desiring God Blog
Topic: Video, WorldMagBlog
You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
back to top21 Comments to “Why Marvin Olasky?”
The second video – Dr. Olasky speaking about his life, his turning to Christ Jesus as Savior, is amazing. I knew Dr. Olasky was born into a Jewish family but I had no idea of his path to Marxism or Communism before becoming a Believer.
I hope everyone takes the opportunity to watch the video.
Report comment to moderator
VICTORIA and others: If you are interested in learning more about Dr. Olasky’s transformation from card-carrying Communist to Bible-carrying Christian, I encourage you to read his series of articles from WORLD:
Part 1 – The Graduate, Aug. 9, 2008
Part 2 – After 1968, Oct. 18, 2008
Part 3 – Deeper into sin, Jan. 31, 2009
Part 4 – Crying out, Apr. 11, 2009
Part 5 – God doesn’t give up, May 23, 2009
Part 6, I believe, is scheduled to be published in the July 18 issue of WORLD, which will be available online next Friday.
You can also hear him talk about this time in his life by listening to a podcast series based on the articles. So far we have posted podcasts covering the first three articles (nine episodes), with more to come. You can hear them by clicking here.
Report comment to moderator
Thanks Mickey – my husband just watched the VIDEO and then brought my attention to the May 23, 2009 issue, which he read a brief excerpt from, it’s one of his favorites –
Thanks again for the LINKS, I’m going to check them out.
Report comment to moderator
Is it because no one else would show up?
Report comment to moderator
I mean really how long is the list of Calvinist available for public speaking?
Report comment to moderator
Mynock,
You’d be surprised. You could probably google for conferences on Calvin this year and find plenty.
Report comment to moderator
Mynock,
If you are referring to the small excerpt which I posted, you don’t have the whole picture, you would need to read the entire piece. Give it a try.
Report comment to moderator
Forgive me Adam Smith for I have sinned.
Report comment to moderator
Iain Murray, J.I. Packer, R.C. Sproul, John Piper, Mark Dever, Don Whitney, Sam Storms, Noël Piper, C.J. & Carolyn Mahaney, Carolyn McCulley, Al Mohler, Ben Patterson, David Powlison, Carl Ellis, Steve Saint, Joni Eareckson Tada, Mark Talbot, David Wells, Don Carson, Tim Keller, Mark Driscoll, Voddie Baucham, John MacArthur, Jerry Bridges, Randy Alcorn, Helen Roseveare, Sinclair Ferguson, Bob Kauflin, Dan Taylor, Paul Tripp, Julius Kim, Mark Talbot, Douglas Wilson, Wayne Grudem, Steve Lawson, Ligon Duncan…
Is this long enough for you, Mynock, or would you like me to keep going?
Report comment to moderator
As one to whom C S Lewis’s writings have played a significant part in my life I think now of Surprised By Joy, where the author, nearing the end of his struggle with God, writes: “In the Trinity Term of 1929 I gave in, and admitted that God was God, and knelt and prayed: perhaps, that night, the most dejected and reluctant convert in all England. I did not then see what is now the most shining and obvious thing; the Divine humility which will accept a convert even on such terms. . . . The hardness of God is kinder than the softness of men, and His compulsion is our liberation.”
(Pp. 228, 229)
Report comment to moderator
Thanks for the interesting list JBH. I knew Randy Alcorn leaned towards Calvinism, but I didn’t realize he would be described as a Calvinist speaker.
Report comment to moderator
Mynock (#4,5) was perhaps sipping too much of the Geritol and felt like sniping. Easy for some people to do.
Frankly I never snipe at anyone without some deep thought about the matter.
#8 Arcadia, when we don’t ignore you , we forgive you.
Report comment to moderator
JBH, good list. I was surprised by how many on your list that I knew.
Report comment to moderator
Frankly I never snipe at anyone without some deep thought about the matter.
Deep.
Report comment to moderator
A fine testimony. Thanks for sharing this.
Report comment to moderator
What water level do most frogs enjoy?
.
.
Knee deep. Knee deep. Knee deep.
Report comment to moderator
Mickey, does Dr. Olasky ever come to Southern California for speaking engagements? – if so, would you post the information on the blog?
Report comment to moderator
We hope to add a WORLD editor/writer speaking engagement calendar on the site before too long.
Report comment to moderator
Great, great articles by Mr. Olasky.
His intellectual and spiritual journey seems similar in many respects to that of David Horowitz (Left Illusions) and I’m hopeful that Horowitz will eventually reach the same destination.
Actually, reading about God’s relentless and loving pursuit of His children can help anyone reach the only sane destination life has to offer: regeneration in Jesus Christ. Everything else is despairingly empty and ultimately horrible beyond imagination.
Praise God for testimonies like that of Mr. Olasky.
Report comment to moderator
“Everything else is despairingly empty and ultimately horrible beyond imagination.”
You’ve just insulted millions, if not billions, of non-Christians who lead perfectly content and meaningful lives.
Report comment to moderator
KWatson (#20):
No insult intended. However, the Bible emphatically insists that there is only one God and one path to reconciliation with Him, and that is through Jesus Christ. Every other path and every other destination is ultimately empty and horrible beyond imagination.
Non-Christians who “…lead perfectly content and meaningful lives,” to use your words, are really living in a temporary fool’s paradise that will end when they meet the Living God on their judgment day. That is not an insult, it is a fact taught by Christ and the entire Bible, which people ignore at their peril.
However, I understand how many, many non-Christians who lead morally upright and exemplary lives would take that as an insult. Yet, the truth of the matter is that ALL people are sinners, no matter how righteous they appear. They have sinned and fall far short of God’s standards of righteousness. They are alienated from God and no amount of good works will bridge the gap between Him and them.
The fact that they may be content and consider their lives meaningful is entirely irrelevant to the above reality. Personal contentment counts for nothing—some of the most depraved people are personally content. “Meaningful living” can mean anything to anybody, depending on their personal appetites, goals, and beliefs.
These two criteria that you put forward as standards are so nebulous as to be virtually worthless as a means of evaluating human behavior. They could mean anything. Furthermore, in light of God’s perfection, they are hopelessly inadequate, because no human being alive can ever live up to His standards.
The Bible tells us that the only way to bridge the gap between our sinful self and God is to acknowledge our sins, repent and turn to Christ. Christ, and only Christ, can reconcile man to God. Without that reconciliation man’s ultimate destination is horrible beyond imagination, no matter how content and meaningful one feels along the way.
If some consider these facts an insult, then their pride is blocking their salvation, and that is a tragedy, not an insult.
Report comment to moderator
back to topJoin The Conversation
You need to be a registered user of WORLDonTheWeb.com to "join the conversation."
If you are not a member yet, what are you waiting for? Register / Login Now!