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Zac Poonen
Zac Poonen (1939 - ). Christian preacher, Bible teacher, and author based in Bangalore, India. A former Indian Naval officer, he resigned in 1966 after converting to Christianity, later founding the Christian Fellowship Centre (CFC) in 1975, which grew into a network of churches. He has written over 30 books, including "The Pursuit of Godliness," and shares thousands of free sermons, emphasizing holiness and New Testament teachings. Married to Annie since 1968, they have four sons in ministry. Poonen supports himself through "tent-making," accepting no salary or royalties. After stepping down as CFC elder in 1999, he focused on global preaching and mentoring. His teachings prioritize spiritual maturity, humility, and living free from materialism. He remains active, with his work widely accessible online in multiple languages. Poonen’s ministry avoids institutional structures, advocating for simple, Spirit-led fellowships. His influence spans decades, inspiring Christians to pursue a deeper relationship with God.
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Zac Poonen preaches on the profound truth of God's election and predestination of His children, emphasizing that God knew us before the foundation of the world and chose us to be His own. This eternal knowledge and selection by God should bring us great security and assurance in our faith journey. While God's foreknowledge is certain, our realization of being His children comes when we repent and turn to Him, highlighting the mystery of God's sovereignty and human free will that intersect in His infinite wisdom.
Election
The Bible says that God elected us to be His children according to his foreknowledge (1 Pet. 1:1,2). This means that He knew from all eternity past those who were going to be His children. The Bible also says that God chose us in Christ "before the foundation of the world" (Eph. 1:4). Long before Adam was even created, God knew each of us by name as His children, and our names were there in "the book of life" (Rev. 13:8). These are facts that should give us tremendous security. The Bible says that the foundation of God on which we stand has a twofold seal. On the God-ward side, it reads, "The Lord knows those who are His." On the man-ward side, it reads, "Let everyone who names the name of the Lord abstain from wickedness" (2 Tim. 2:19). God knew His children from before the foundation of the world. But WE know that we are His children only when we actually repent and turn to Him. Our finite minds cannot grasp how God elects His children and yet gives man freedom to choose Him or not. These are like two parallel lines that don't seem to meet in our understanding. But as the mathematical definition of parallel lines is, they meet at infinity - in the infinite mind of God. Someone has expressed it like this: As you walked along the road of life, you found an open door one day, with these words written over it, "Whoever repents and believes in Christ may enter in here and obtain eternal life." You entered in. On looking back, you saw written over the very door through which you had just entered, the words "You were chosen by God in Christ, before the foundation of the world."
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Zac Poonen (1939 - ). Christian preacher, Bible teacher, and author based in Bangalore, India. A former Indian Naval officer, he resigned in 1966 after converting to Christianity, later founding the Christian Fellowship Centre (CFC) in 1975, which grew into a network of churches. He has written over 30 books, including "The Pursuit of Godliness," and shares thousands of free sermons, emphasizing holiness and New Testament teachings. Married to Annie since 1968, they have four sons in ministry. Poonen supports himself through "tent-making," accepting no salary or royalties. After stepping down as CFC elder in 1999, he focused on global preaching and mentoring. His teachings prioritize spiritual maturity, humility, and living free from materialism. He remains active, with his work widely accessible online in multiple languages. Poonen’s ministry avoids institutional structures, advocating for simple, Spirit-led fellowships. His influence spans decades, inspiring Christians to pursue a deeper relationship with God.