There was once a German Pastor whose name I can't remember. He preached a sermon against anti-semitism that received a great deal of admonition from his congregation. His response was "it was in the text." I struggled with the doctrine of Predestination my first year as a Christian. Then I read Roman's 9 and it was in the text. You can argue the little points with arminians all that you want. I used to be a crusader to this point. But I soon grew tired of it and decided that I needed to live my life like I believed that I was a believer in God's soveriegn ability to save. But I still can get aggitated like when I watch heresy on TBN (which some of my friends watch for the sake of comedy). I remember last March when I was in LA on a mission trip and a friend of mine found herself doing street evangelism with a our leader who is a Calvinist. She was stunned when my friend preached man's fallen state and the doctrine of grace to someone on Hollywood BLVD. When I found her she was quietly reading Romans 9. We discussed the matter and I prayed with her with compassion for her heart was tender to this truth. And she is now has a clearer understanding that God is indeed more soveriegn and intimately involved with her life than she ever thought. So the point of the arguement is that "it is in the text" and we can't skirt it. So that is my response. I've been a Calvinist for three of the four years of my walk becuase "it was in the text."<br>I love you all,<br>Aaron
