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Darkness to Light - Vol. VIII, No. 1

Darkness to Light
Volume VIII, Number 1
2010

Presented by Darkness to Light Web site
Director: Gary F. Zeolla

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Scripture Workbook: Second Edition; Volume I

This is the first of what will be two volumes. This first volume covers the essential doctrines of the Christian faith. It is these doctrines that separate the true Christian faith from cultic and other deviations. Included here are studies on such essential doctrines as the authority and reliability of the Scriptures, the attributes of God, the Trinity, and forgiveness and salvation.

Comments on Previous Sex Issues

By Gary F. Zeolla

This issue of Darkness to Light newsletter will present comments I have received on previous issues where the main article addressed sexual issues in some fashion. The emailers' are in black and enclosed in greater than and lesser than signs. My responses are in red.

Christmas Narrative, Sexual Sin, and Salvation from Sin

Volume V, Number 11; December 2007

The article Christmas Narrative, Sexual Sin, and Salvation from Sin used the Christmas story to illustrate the Biblical teaching against premarital sexual intercourse.

>Hi Gary.

I am a Backslider. I gave my heart to God a few years ago, but slowly have been pulled into my old life of sin again. Recently I went back to stripping. I am worried that I've committed that sin because while I was seducing a "customer" I whispered in his ear "Merry Christmas" I got a shock of my life this morning, when I fully realized what I said. When I read your article, I started reasoning that Christmas the day Christ was born was a divine intervention of God, through the Holy Spirit. And here I was committing terrible sin of seducing this man with these words. Please reply soon, I am afraid.

12/7/2007<

Let me get this straight, you're a stripper, but what concerns you is that you said "Merry Christmas" to someone, not that you're stripping?

I know stripping can be an easy way to make money, but in no way is it a "career" that God would approve of. It is just "soft" prostitution. I know you probably consider yourself to be a "dancer," but ask yourself, if you kept your clothes on, do you really think all of those men would be watching you so intently and putting dollars in your G-string?

Or to put it another way, if Jesus were in the audience, would you feel comfortable stripping in front of Him? Well, you are; God sees all things.

The Scriptures are clear that you are not to do anything that causes someone else to sin. By stripping, you are inciting lust in men for a woman other than their wives. That is a sin that needs to be repented of. And true repentance means leaving your life of sin.

Sorry to be so tough, but given your situation, you need someone to jolt you into realizing what really matters. Saying Merry Christmas is fine, stripping is not.

Gary

>Subject: RE: Darkness to Light - Vol. V, No.11

Unusual commentary to the Christmas story!

Gloria
12/7/2007<

>Subject: Re: Darkness to Light - Vol. V, No.11

take my email off your list immediately.

Diane
12/6/2007<

Subject: Re: Darkness to Light - Vol. V, No.11

PLEASE CAN YOU STOP SENDING ME THIS INFORMATION; I DO NOT WANT TO RECEIVE IT IN MY MAIL EITHER!

THANK YOU

Lauren
12/7/2007<

Note: The above two were of course immediately removed from my mailing list. But I found it interesting that it was two women (not men) that were be so upset (one even SHOUTING) that they asked to be removed.

TV, Sexuality, and Christianity

Volume VII, Number 6; November 2009

The article TV, Sexuality, and Christianity looked at how much TV has changed over the years, with older shows being rather "wholesome" but today's TV promoting homosexuality, one-night stands, pre-martial sexual intercourse, and other forms of sexual sin.

>Subject: Regarding TV

Hi Gary: I just got around to reading my emails. I also enjoyed years ago watching The Brady Bunch and The Partridge Family. They were very wholesome shows that you didn't have to worry if your small son or daughter or other relative would come walking while you were watching TV. Life has certainly changed.

Carol
11/3/2009<

>Subject: TV

Enjoyed your article on television and Christianity. In my childhood, Leave it to Beaver was on a lot. A very far cry from today's television. Older movies always picture homosexuality in a negative view. Today, that never happens. I just had a son (he's eight months old) and I wonder what I am going to let him watch on TV.

Brad
11/27/2009<

>Subject: Re: Darkness to Light - Vol. VII, No. 6

Hello Gary,

Thank you for sending this article (and for all the others).

When my wife and I became Christians 25 years ago we tried to control the TV; i.e. we tried to select some programs we would watch. But we ended up seeing adverts and other rubbish, so we decided to get rid of it. We've lived without TV ever since, and we know that we are the better for it. Of course, this doesn't stop us from seeing the horrid changes that has taken place through the years in Western society, but at least we haven't had 25 years of filthy images and pictures entering our minds. I think that Christians are much better off without TV -- actually we don't understand how a believer can watch the box -- it is we believe a big hindrance to spiritual growth.

Greetings in Christ,
Didier,
France

PS: Our two daughters who are 26 and 25 respectively have been brought up without TV and have never complained about it, and they are both very grateful today.
11/1/2009<

>Subject: New e-mail address

Hi Gary,

I have moved and switched Internet providers. Where I lived, there was no DSL or cable internet available so I used wireless. Now, I've switched off my wireless provider to one that has DSL. (It's a lot faster.) Anyway, please change my e-mail address to __________ for my newsletter and your personal records.

I just finished reading your article on TV and sexuality. Famous homosexual David Bowie probably put it best when he said that critics don't make culture, artists make culture (I'm paraphrasing). And the culture he and the other artists of this generation and the past one have made is one that endorses their own perverse lifestyles.

So I mainly watch The Discovery Channel, but the offensive thing about that is, the scientific basis for such nihilism, Darwinism, is strongly advocated there.

You can't really get away from satanic influences when you watch TV...

Yours in Christ,
Reese
11/19/2009<

Thanks for letting me know about the new address Reese. It's been changed. I know what you mean about The Discovery Channel. I watch science stuff, especially about outer space and dinosaurs, on it and on The History Channel. I like the shows, especially the graphics and outer space pics. But you cannot get away from evolution being presented as an unquestioned fact. I could have mentioned that in that article, but that would be an entire article I itself.

>Subject: Re: Darkness to Light - Vol. VII, No. 6

Dear Gary,

I agree with what you are saying.

I think if ladies knew that their virginity is actually the marriage covenant, and a blood covenant at that, and that it left a permanent mark (blood covenants leave marks....mark of the beast is a covenant with Satan)... and if guys understood the meaning...maybe...less ladies would loose their virginity out of marriage.. and if guys knew the meaning...maybe...it would influence how ladies would want their husband to perceive them. Also...in Deut 22 ..not being a virgin is Biblical grounds for divorce. Yeshua said a man can put his wife away for fornication. I'm assuming that the man had not given up his virginity outside marriage....else.. he would have been stoned also...that is...under the law anyhow.

Our modern marriages are almost entirely manmade. Wedding rings were invented in pagan Egypt during the time that Egypt was worshipping idols. Marriage licenses were created for people that it was illegal for them to marry. In many ancient cultures the woman's virginity was considered a blood covenant. Satan has taken the marriage that God gave...and almost completely replaced it with manmade elements most of which were not in God's design for a marriage. It's no wonder that more than 50% of marriages do not last.

Most peoples morals are not based on the Bible because they don't know the Bible. And sadly...I think most preachers have let up on teaching the important things in the Bible. Many preachers are pruning the leaves. But...with John the Baptist...he said the axe is pointed at the root of the tree...and if a tree is not grounded...it is cut off. The fundamentals of the Gospel are not being taught as they should by many preachers. Also, the really serious sins such as fornication are very rarely mentioned in church. It like a subject that people don't like to discuss in church...and because of this many believers are ignorant of what the Bible says on good and bad morals.

I appreciate what you are doing.

God bless, and God be with you.

Someday, the only thing that's going to matter, that last moment of our lives, is if we have eternal life....absolutely nothing else will matter, not one iota.

Arm yourself with this type of mind. We have it made; we have eternal life, and in the end it's all that will matter. Guard your mind with this....and your mind will be kept in peace.

Jesus is the Christ...Lord, the Messiah...over all things ... crowned by the Father....at his right hand...and rose from the dead...in flesh and bone...and his resurrected body lives forever.

Dewayne
12/2/2009<

Books-a-Million

The following comment is not about an article from this newsletter but about Books-a-Million , one of my sponsors whose ads are sometimes seen here and on the Web site.

Subject: Books-A-Million

I am surprised to see Books-a-Million listed as a "Quality Christian Merchant" on your website. I was sitting in the floor in the children's section of Books-A-Million in Sevierville, TN this weekend when my daughter says "Gross...why are they licking their privates?" You can't imagine my horror when I realized she had found a Penthouse magazine on the bottom shelf of the children's section and was looking at a full page photo of a woman performing oral sex. My six year old daughter now has been exposed to pornography thanks to Books-a-Million!!

It is bad enough for pornography to be sold in the same store as children's books, but to have it randomly sitting around is outrageous!! After several phone calls and e-mails I have learned that most major book stores sell "adult magazines" and this Books-a-Million store has received several complaints from parents whose children have found them in the children's books. The store general manager said there is nothing she can do about the problem...not my idea of a quality Christian merchant.

Jessica
8/12/2009<

I use Books-a-Million as one of my advertisers as they sell many quality Christian books, including all of *my own books. I specifically link to many Christian books on their site that I recommend in the Products' section of the Web site and in the bibliographies at the end of many articles on the site. So it is specifically those books that I recommend.

As for them selling porn mags, I did a search on their Web site, and neither "Playboy" nor "Penthouse" turned up any results. So apparently, they do not sell such mags on their site. It is sad to hear they do so at their brick and mortar stores. But what I am advertising is their Web site, not the brick and mortar stores.

Social Sites

I now have a MySpace, a Facebook and a Twitter page.

Scripture Workbook
For Personal and Group Bible Study
and Teaching the Bible

Second Edition:
Volume I
Essentials of "The Faith"

Also by Gary F. Zeolla:

Zeolla.org is the personal Web site for Gary F. Zeolla.
Author of Christian and of fitness books, Web sites, and newsletters,
and a top ranked and multi-record holding powerlifter.

Fitness for One and All Web site and FitTips for One and All newsletter.
Helping people to attain their health, fitness, and performance goals,
with an emphasis on powerlifting.

All material in this newsletter is copyrighted © 2010 by Gary F. Zeolla or as indicated otherwise.

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