About the Pastor
My name is Mark Oaks and I was ordained as and have been a Southern Baptist pastor for several years. My credentials are that I have been called by God to preach and teach His Word. I am a diploma graduate of the Institute of Biblical Studies (a Baptist institution) and I have a Master's Degree in Theology from Andersonville Theological Seminary (see more). I have been accepted and enrolled in a Doctoral Program (Theology).
I am retired from the United States Air Force (1990). My wife, Cheryl and I have raised two children and several of our seven grandchildren. We also have one great granddaughter. I like to sing, play guitar, and piano (I do not play piano well enough to play publicly), and I like to garden and to fish (when I have time). I am a Pensacola, Florida native, and am living in the country near Milton, Florida.
I am a retired Pastor, having served in several smaller churches during the last twenty years. However, even though retired, I will accept the call to pastor another church if and when God calls me back into that ministry.
I am a Southern Baptist, yet The Bible Church Online is not aligned with any denomination because this site is for everyone. While I personally know that the doctrinal teachings of Southern Baptists are Biblically correct, I do not wish to preclude anyone from visiting this site for any reason. It is here to share the Word of God with all who wish. I strive to be Biblically correct in all the works at this site.
God has given me the gift of teaching and preaching and he has called me into public ministry. While I teach the Bible chapter and verse I do not copy the teachings of anyone. After careful study and prayer and with guidance from the Holy Spirit, I form my own conclusions and teach God's Word. For as Peter says, we are a "holy priesthood" able to discern what the Scriptures tell us.
In the past few years, I have noticed a working of the Spirit in America. More and more ministries are getting back to preaching from the Bible. Not only have they been getting back to God's Word, many are realizing that they have been using too many traditions and are beginning to change that. Praise the LORD!
שאלו שלום ירושלים
—Psalm 122:6(a) (Pray for the peace of Jerusalem) *
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." Psalm 119:105
"The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever." Psalm 12:6-7
★ This work is undertaken in the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord. * Or, as the Masoretic text spells it, ירושלם (Yerushalam)
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★ The Bible Church Online has the right to present its ideas and opinions in this format. We have NOT made any covenant with the Federal Government, such as a nonprofit agreement or tax exemption under Section 501(c)(3), and according to the First Amendment of the Constitution we have the right to free speech, including political speech, and freedom of religion.
★ The content of this study (with the exception of any scripture or quote) is the sole production of Pastor Mark Oaks and is subject to change as the pastor grows and learns.
★ Numbers following Greek or Hebrew words are Strong’s Numbers. Hebrew numbers are in normal type style (1234) and Greek numbers are in Italic style (1234).
(Instead of ירושלים, Yerushalayim, which is the plural form)
* שאלו שלום ירושלים is transliterated "shaalu shalom yerushalaim".