December 22, 2015 - proof God exists.

Every year around December 20-22 we have the shortest day of the year in terms of hours of daylight.  We also have, around June 21, the longest day when there are the most hours of daylight.  We also have, around March 20 and Sept 22 every year what is termed "an equinox" - this means that the number of daylight and night time hours are the same.  These cycles are as regular as clockwork.

What does this tell us?  That the world is not here by chance, that it doesn't continue by chance, and that it was designed to work in this way.  Consequently, if there is a design, there is a designer - and that designer is God.

When people deny the existence of God they simply display their ignorance of all the evidence that shows there is a God.  The way that the Earth continues to rotate in the same pattern, and the same form, proves beyond any doubt that there is a brain behind all this.

What would you think of a person who believed that a clock just came into being by chance and continues to work with a regularity, again by chance?  Such a person would not be taken seriously and, indeed, neither should they be.  Therefore, when people say that this world and all it's workings simply came about by chance, they show themselves to have a mind set of a small child who gives outlandish explanations for matters he cannot understand.

Having established beyond doubt that there is a God, the next question we ask is this - can He be known personally?  The answer is a resounding "YES".

In my work of street evangelism I often pass out a small booklet entitled "Knowing God personally".  Even though we have done wrong in His sight (what the Bible calls "sin") and even though our sins are like a barrier between us and God, we can have the joy and assurance of having that barrier removed and knowing Him.

This is through the work of the Lord Jesus Christ - when He died on the cross, he did so for the sins of the world, and rose again to be our Saviour.

Because Jesus paid for our sins, the barrier between us and God can be removed provided we truly repent of our sins and accept Him as our personal Saviour.

Forgiveness of sins and peace with God are NOT automatic, we need to make a response to the free offer of the Gospel.  As we approach the Christmas period, when we remember the coming of Christ, wouldn't it be marvellous to hear of people making their peace with God and knowing Him personally.

"The Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world" - 1st John 4 v 14

The age of miracles is NOT past.

Many people think that God is an irrelevance to them if, indeed, He even exists!  However, I would like to outline 2 testimonies that I came across only this last week that prove that God is very much alive. and still performing miracles.

The Gideons have a wonderful ministry of placing Bibles in numerous places (including prisons) and giving out New Testaments to youngsters in schools.  An extremely violent prisoner in the north of England was placed into solitary confinement because he kept attacking the warders and other prisoners.  While there he had access to a Bible and, in a rage, tore it up into pieces.  As he lay on his bed wondering what was to become of him he decided to pick up one of the torn pages; it "just happened" to be  the parable of the prodigal son.  As he read this the Lord spoke to him and, to cut a long story short, he got wonderfully converted.  Having been released he now reaches out to people who seem to be embarking on a criminal road, telling them how Jesus can change them, just as He changed him.

The second testimony may be less "spectacular" but is still, nonetheless an evidence of the saving grace of God:

In the county of Kent there is a free newspaper that comes out every week-end and is financed by advertising.  2 weeks ago they carried an article along the lines that "religion" is dying.  Of course, it's not religion that people need but Christ as a personal Saviour.  The next edition carried a letter from a Canterbury resident with the following heartwarming testimony (abridged) - "up until the age of 40 I was the biggest atheist going.  Then I went to a local church after being invited by a friend. As a result of the work of the Holy Spirit I became born-again and accepted Christ as Saviour.  It is not dependent upon religion but relationship.  We can have a relationship with God through faith in Christ".

In the case of both men it was, humanly speaking, impossible that they would get saved.  They were so very far from God they would never believe and trust in Christ.  However, God had other ideas and drew them to a knowledge of Himself.

When I heard/read about the above I was thrilled to see that, indeed, the age of miracles has NOT passed.  God is still in the business of changing lives - "If anyone is in Christ he is a new creation.  Old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new" - 2nd Corinthians 5 v 17.

What do you think of Christ?

As regular readers of this blog will know, I spend several afternoons a week passing out tracts in Canterbury and Ramsgate and, over the years have been blessed in seeing souls saved and backsliders restored.

The latest tract I'm currently using is entitled "What do you think of Christ?" and has been well received by people in general.  The wording of this is as follows:

What Do You Think of Christ?

Perhaps we might give one of the following answers to this question:

I never think about Him

I'm just not interested in Him

He isn't relevant to me

I'm just too busy to think about Him

There are many people who might give one of these answers and yet not a day goes by without them using His name casually or even as a swear word.  When surprised, upset or angry they will use the name of Jesus or His title "Christ".  Perhaps this reveals exactly what they think of Him, or maybe these words come out without them even thinking about what they are saying.

Actually, how we view Jesus Christ is very important, because it not only affects our lives in this life but also in the life hereafter.  That may seem very unlikely to you, but have a think about three things the Bible says about Him.

He is a prophet

The first part of the Bible, the Old Testament, predicted that someone called "the Christ" would one day come.  He would announce the good news that God loves people throughout the whole world.  He would give proof of who He was by performing amazing miracle, "then the eyes of the blind would be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped"  (Isaiah 35 v 5).  Jesus would offer to heal the broken hearted and set free those whose lives were controlled by sin and evil.

Jesus did all those things without exception during His life here on earth.  His disciples could say to Him "you are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matthew 16 v 16).

He is a priest

Jesus Christ lived a life that was completely pure and holy in every way.  All other priests need to have their own sins forgiven by God before they can be concerned about the sins of others.  Jesus Christ didn't have any sin,  ".....He is holy, harmless, undefiled..."  (Hebrews 7 v 26).

His absolute perfection qualified Him to reunite people to God.  "For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ"  (1st Timothy 2 v 5).

To be that mediator Jesus Christ was willing to stand in the place of people like us and pay the price that our sins deserve, "Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many" (Hebrews 9 v 28).  Jesus died on the cross and three days later rose triumphantly from the dead and appeared to many eyewitnesses.


He is a king

We all have a king in our lives, even if it is only ourselves.  Jesus Christ is the person who really deserves that place.  When He went back to Heaven He was crowned "King of kings" (Revelation 19 v 16).  One day He will come again for all to see that He is the rightful king "...every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord"  (Philippians 2 v 11).

What do you think about Christ?  was a question Jesus asked a group of sceptics (see Matthew 22 v 42).  If you are a sceptic, then please take time to think seriously about Christ.  You can come to know Him as your Prophet to teach you, your Priest to forgive you, and your King to protect and guide you.


THE TRACT THEN HAS A FORM FOR PEOPLE TO FILL IN AND SEND TO THE OPEN AIR MISSION FOR MORE INFORMATION.

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Acts 5 v 39 and the invinciblity of the Gospel.

In the Acts of the Apostles we read the thrilling early history of the Christian church and the progress of the Gospel as many souls get saved and evangelise the lost.  However, when God is active in saving souls the devil is also active and the inevitable persecution occurs, much of it extremely savage.

In Acts chapter 5 we read of how Peter and his companions were brought before the Sanhedrin and threatened for preaching the Gospel.  One of the council members was Gamaliel who very wisely cautioned against taking action against the preachers for one simple reason - if this Gospel that they are preaching "is of God you cannot overthrow it".  So it proved; despite the persecution directed against believers the Gospel spread like wildfire and opponents were unable to prevent this.

There are two notable examples of the impotence of man to stop God's plans from being effected -

1.  In Matthew 2 we read of Herod murdering small children in order to kill Christ, but the plot failed.  Shortly after that he died.

2.  In Acts 12 we read of another Herod having James murdered and intending to do the same to Peter.  However, Peter was miraculously released and Herod was slain by God.  Just after that we read (in verse 24) that "the Word of the Lord grew and multiplied".

Both of these wicked men were very powerful but could not stop the Lord's will being carried out. 

This tells me that if God wills for the Gospel to be spread, and He does, then no scheme of man can thwart that.  Indeed, we read in Job 42 v 2 that no purpose of God can be hindered.

What a strong encouragement this is to me as I seek to tell others about Jesus through the distribution of tracts.   Over the years there have been attempts to stop this (even from those professing to be Christians) but these have failed.   All the while God leads me to spread His word,and the message of the only way of salvation, then this will occur and, as the Gospel is spread, God is pleased to draw precious souls to Himself and grant them repentance unto life.

The most powerful efforts of man to stop the Gospel will always fail for one simple reason - God is sovereign and He WILL ensure that every one of His elect WILL be saved.

T'int right, tint fair, t'int proper

I recently watched a period drama set in Cornwall in the 1780s which made for compelling viewing.  Although the programmes were serious, in that they reflected the grinding poverty of the age and the injustice of the courts, there were humorous moments.  One of the characters, Jud, had a saying when he came across a situation that was not to his liking (which was often) - "t'int right, t'int fair, t'int proper".

As I was reading Romans chapter 9 recently I came across verse 18 which reads as follows: "therefore He (God) has mercy on whom He will have mercy and whom He will He hardens".  This is referring to the fact that it is God who gives people the desire to repent of their sins and believe on Christ for salvation.  The fact that He draws some and not others is taught in such verses as John chapter 6 verses 37, 44 and 65.

Moreover John chapter 3 has Jesus teaching that just as the wind blows where it wishes, so the Holy Spirit blows where He wishes into people's lives and makes them regenerate (born again).

At first glance this verse may seem unfair; I can imagine this Jud character coming up with his usual "t'int-ing" as he reads this (or as it's read to him) but one needs to keep this whole "fairness" business in context.

What is fairness?    If a person is on death row the Governor of the state is not obliged to pardon him from the death penalty, he is not being unfair if he does not do so. In a similar way God does not owe us salvation; if we could prove God owes us salvation, then it would be grossly unfair to teach that He grants the desire to repent to some, and not others.  However, we cannot prove such for one simple reason - He doesn't owe salvation to any of us; he owes us justice and that justice demands that we are all damned for eternity.

The fact that God shows us mercy is a testament to His kindness.  He doesn't damn us all, even though we deserve it.  He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins and rise again to be our Saviour.  Then, not content with "simply" sending His Son (to be the Saviour of the world - 1st John 4 v 14).   He sends the Holy Spirit to us to ensure that we respond to the message.  Left to ourselves we would never come to repentance and faith in Christ, our hearts are too hard and we are love our sins too much.  However, when the Holy Spirit comes upon us and "quickens" us we are moved to respond as we should do.

What should be our response to this matter?  When we come across such verses as Romans 9 v 18 we should rejoice that God has shown us mercy.  If we have truly repented of our sins and received Christ we should praise God from the bottom of our hearts that He moved us to do so.

We should also respond to such verses by re-doubling our efforts to evangelise the lost.  If God has truly given a people to Christ (as John 6 v 37 tells us) then we are on the wiunning side.  We have a cause that cannot fail for one simple reason - if God is drawing someone then they WILL believe.

The sovereingty of God in Judson's conversion.

Adoniram Judson was an American  missionary to Burma in the 19th century and faithfully preached the Gospel for many years.  His life is quite famous as he was one of the first people to go to that country with the Gospel and his work of Bible translation is still bearing fruit today.

However, what is not so well known is the circumstances which led to him coming to know Christ as his personal Saviour.  He was born in 1788 and raised in a Christian family, leaving home to go to college in the early 1800s.  While at college he fell into the company of one Jacob Eames who quickly turned him away from any belief in the Bible as the Word of God, and Christ as the Son of God.  After returning home, and having a huge row with his parents over his unbelief, Judson left home again and travelled widely.

To cut a long story short he found himself at an Inn (an old fashioned named for a hotel - of sorts!) and asked for a room for the night.  The proprietor advised him that there was only 1 room available, next door to a man who was dying - "there may be some noise from the adjoining room, but if you can put up with that the room's yours for the night".  As Judson was dog tired he gladly accepted the offer and, after a short time being concerned for the fate of his neighbour, he fell into a deep sleep.

The next morning dawned bright and sunny and Judson went downstairs to pay his bill.  "What happened to the man in the next room" he asked the proprietor.  "Oh, he died" came the reply.  When Judson asked his name the reply cut him to the heart - "Jacob Eames".

The man who turned Judson's heart away from Christ and the Bible was the man who was ushered into eternity, in the very next room!  This was so obviously a working of God's providence that Judson was moved to give serious consideration to his own soul and, in the process of time, he came to repentance and faith in Christ as his own personal Saviour.

What does this true account of Judson's conversion tell us?  It tells us that if God has a person in His sights for conversion then He will so order events that that person WILL come to repentance and faith in Christ.

In John 6 v 37 Jesus said that all people given to Him by His Father WILL come to Him, not one will fail to do so.  Moreover, in Job 42 v 2 we are told that no purpose of God can ever be thwarted.  Putting these simple truths together we can confidently assert that God IS sovereign in the affairs of people and will get His way, why? - because He is God and He is in control.

This simple fact is a great encouragement to me as I pass out Gospel tracts and point people to Christ. If any of those passing by have been given to Christ, then no matter how much they resist Him they will come.

To put it another way - if God is drawing someone, then he, or she. will believe.  "No one can come to me, unless the father, who sent me, draws him."   John 6 v 44.

Migrant Mission Field

Unless you have been living on the moon you cannot have failed to notice the huge press coverage being given to the plight of refugees trying to flee ISIS and get asylum in Europe.  The politicians have been taking to the air-waves to give their opinions which vary from "let's give them a warm welcome" to "we're full up, they can't come here" with one senior figure saying that this is "an exodus of Biblical proportions".

So what should be the Christian response?  Of course, we should do what we can to help those in need and, if people are fleeing oppression we should give them asylum.  After all, Britain has a fine record of taking in genuine refugees - remember the Ugandan Asians of the early 1970s?

Moreover, when it comes to helping others Christians have a big advantage over the unsaved and it is simply this - we can, and should, give humanitarian help, but we can also tell refugees the way to eternal life.

If we truly believe the Bible we know that Jesus is the only and exclusive way to Heaven (I am the way, the truth and the life; no-one comes to the Father but by me - John 14 v 6) and we should take every opportunity to point people to Christ, especially when a bridge has been established due to us having done them a kind service.  Indeed, this has been happening during the current crisis.

In Siciliy, there are Christian groups giving material help to Syrian refugees and also passing on Arabic scriptures so that they can learn about Jesus, and there other parts of Europe where similar work is taking place.

Many of these poor people come from countries that ban evangelism and so it could be that God, in His sovereignty, has brought this situation about in order to move huge groups of people to a country where they can hear the Gospel.  Two examples of this will suffice to prove my point:

1.  About 15-16 years ago a large number of Kosovan refugees came to Kent and, more particularly, Cliftonville, which is on the edge of Margate just a few miles from where I live.  A local Gospel Hall set up English language classes and sought to befriend them.  As well as teaching them English the believers also gave them Scriptures and  Gospel material in their own language.  Eventually, they were dispersed all around the country but it is obvious that God brought them to this area to hear the precious truths of Christ and have an opportunity to be saved.

2. Over the years many Iranians have fled that country in fear of their lives and ended up in the UK.  As a result of evangelism, and the Holy Spirit opening blind eyes, many have been saved and even started up Iranian Christian Fellowships with a view to encouraging one another and reaching out to their fellow compatriots.  Indeed, in my own evangelism I well remember having regular contact with such a refugee who fled Iran after questioning Islam.  I was able to pass on a Bible to him and a book "More than a carpenter", both in Farsi.

We often think of missions as going to another country to preach the Gospel but God also works by bringing people to Europe for the same purpose.

Only eternity will reveal the good done for people's souls in this way.

What is the spirit of antichrist?

Whenever one thinks about the word "antichrist" there is a tendency to conjure up thoughts of some particularly vile person who spends his time attacking the Christian gospel, and making all kinds of spiteful comments against the person of Christ and His followers.

However, it may surprise you to know that, in fact, most people today exhibit the spirit of antichrist even if they are exceptionally mild-mannered and have a respect for Christians.  Consider the following  from 1st John chapter 4 v 3 "And every spirit that confesses not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist........"

To put it simply, every person who does not accept that Jesus is the Christ and that He really is who He said, viz. the Son of God, is guilty of having a spirit of antichrist.  No matter how mildly and respectfully they present that view they are under God's condemnation for their unwillingness to accept Jesus as the Christ.

This truth is clearly confirmed by a careful of reading of John chapter 3.  In verse 18 we read people are "condemned already" if they don't believe "in the name of the only begotten Son of God".  Moreover, in verse 36 we are told that those who "believe on the Son have everlasting life";  while those who do not so believe shall not see life, but will have the wrath of God abiding upon them.

I well remember having a long conversation with a bloke who was appalled at the Biblical truth that faith in Christ as the Son of God is essential to obtain eternal life.  "Do you mean to say", he exclaimed, "that Rabbi Jonathan sacks, a good man, is going to Hell?"  I replied in the affirmative (a simple question deserves a straight answer) and pointed out that this applies to everyone who does not accept Christ as the Son of God.  They are ALL in the same boat, they are ALL going down and only if they get into the lifeboat that is the Lord Jesus will they be saved.

To put this very simply - atheists, agnostics, Muslims, sikhs, hindus, most Jews (I say most Jews because there are an increasing number of Jews who have accepted Christ) and all who will not accept that Jesus is the Son of God are on the same broad way that leads to judgement.

The teaching I am putting forward in this article would be considered "extreme" but, being the truth, it must be proclaimed without fear or favour.  There are millions of our fellow citizens exhibiting the "spirit of antichrist" and they need to be warned to repent of their unbelief and accept Christ - the eternal consequences of not doing so do not bear thinking about.

At the end of the day we must base our beliefs on the clear statements of The Lord Jesus Christ not the political correctness of modern society.  He said: "I am the way, the truth and the life; no-one comes to the Father but by me" - John 14 v 6.

Further evidence the Bible is true.

In recent months I've written a number of articles detailing how fulfilled prophecies have proved the Bible to be the Word of God.  One such example being the 7-fold prophecy of the destruction of Tyre as recorded in Ezekiel chapter 26.  The chances of all 7 coming true would be 1 in millions, but it all came to pass just as the Bible predicted.

There is another evidence of the Bible's veracity that is often neglected, perhaps because it has a certain degree of subjectivity surrounding it.  Anyway, I'll outline this before my readers now and they can judge for themselves if this is, indeed, valid evidence.

Last September when the new academic year started, a student entered the halls of residence at a university in Wales.  As he went into his room he noticed a Gideon Bible.  In his words "it made me feel uncomfortable" and, as a result of this, the students voted to ban Gideon Bibles from the halls of residence.

The question I ask myself is simply this: "If the Bible is just a collection of stories, as many people claim, why did this student feel uncomfortable?"    If I noticed a copy of Aesop's Fables in a hotel room I wouldn't "feel uncomfortable", I would probably read it and have a good laugh over it.  I certainly wouldn't go on some kind of crusade against it and campaign to have it banned; and yet that is what these students did with the Bible.  What does that suggest to me?

It suggests that the Bible really is the Word of God and that it's very presence reminds people of several facts:

1.  The fact that there is a God to whom we must give account (Romans 14 v 12).

2.  The fact that we have all done wrong and need to get right with God (Romans 3 v 10 and 23).

3.  The fact that if we don't get right with God there is a price to pay - for all eternity  (2nd Thess 1 v 7-9).

Often when I'm on a train or bus I will read the Bible quietly to myself without disturbing anyone.  Yet, while I'm doing so, I'm aware that people sitting nearby are bristling with discomfort.  Why is this?  Again - because, deep down, we all know that the Bible is not just "a book of stories".  It IS what it claims to be - the very Word of the living God.  Everything God has to say to us is contained within the pages of this precious book.

In the light of that fact, we do well to read it, study it, digest it and respond to it's truths by repenting of our sins and accepting Christ as our Lord and Saviour.

An addiction worth having

Sometimes when I walk past a shop or office block I see staff members outside having a smoke.  They are "enjoying" a smoke break kindly granted to them by their employer for the simple reason that they are so addicted to nicotine that, if such a break was not granted them, they would be climbing up the walls.

These poor creatures simply cannot last an hour without their "fix".  Similarly, there are people addicted to alcohol; they, too, can't seem to go for more than a few hours without imbibing booze.  Others are addicted to various drugs which  are destroying them but, because they are in the grip of these drugs, they cannot break free - unless of course they submit to the lordship of Christ in their lives, and know the true freedom that only He can give (And ye shall now the truth, and the truth shall make you free - John 8 v 32 ).

As a general principle addictions are bad because they control us; however, there is one addiction that it is good to have  -to be addicted to reading the Bible, the infallible Word of God.

Every morning I try to make the time to read a chapter each of the Old and New Testament.  I also keep a copy of the Bible or, at least a New Testament, with me at all times during the day so that I can read it when I'm on a bus/train or when I'm having a tea break.

I read the Bible systematically from Genesis to Malachi in the OT, and from Matthew to Revelation in the NT.  This means that over the years I've read through the entire Bible (King James Version) more times than I can keep count.  I don't say these things to boast; it is the Lord who has blessed me, not only with eyes to see and read, but also with desire to read His Word.  In short, I'm addicted to reading it - I can't seem to go more than a couple of waking hours without doing so.

One may ask - "if you've read the whole Bible through why do you start again and keep reading it?"  That is a fair question; after all, one doesn't read the same novel over and over again.  The answer to this question is simple - the Bible IS NOT an ordinary book; it is not even just a book of good stories that help us through life - it is the Inspired, Infallible, Inerrant, Invincible and Indestructible Word of the Living God.

Everything that God wants us to know is contained within the pages of this wonderful book.  If any Christian is reading this article and doesn't feel the same sense of thrill as I do when reading the Bible, or doesn't "suffer" the same addiction to read it, then I can only suggest that they ask the Lord to give them a desire to be reading it.  Ask God to give you such a strong sense of need that you simply must pick it up at regular times and devour it's contents.  Why is this?  The answer is found in the Bible viz.:

"The entrance of thy words giveth light, it giveth understanding unto the simple" - Psalm 119 v 130.

Opportunities abound for the Gospel

In 1st Corinthians 16 v 9 the Apostle Paul said: "For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries".

What was Paul saying?  Simply this - that he had many opportunities to tell others about Jesus (and, no doubt,  took them gladly) but, along with the open door to spread the Gospel, there was also opposition.  That is my own experience too.

I was saved on Sept. 13, 1975 and, shortly afterwards, came across Christians who believed in spreading the word through Gospel tracts.  The Lord gave me a desire to do the same and, encouraged by a friend who worked in a Christian bookshop, I obtained large quantities of "Chick books".   I used to leave these in phone boxes (those were the days, before mobile phones took over our lives) and other public places.  I also used to leave them in the toilets at my workplace.  (You can laugh but a bloke, Roy, got saved and his wife, who was a backslider, was restored to rightful fellowship with God).  Of course, if one was to leave tracts in a workplace these days it would probably result in dismissal, such is the opposition that we face today; and that brings me to the point of this article.

Over the years it has been my privilege to be involved in street evangelism.  I rarely do public street preaching but mainly give out tracts as people walk past.  To be fair, most people are polite and don't seem to mind being offered tracts as long as I don't pursue them when they've declined.  However, despite my calm and inoffensive manner, there have been people who clearly don't like what I'm doing.  I often get sour looks or even looks of pity and contempt.  Sometimes people will say bad swear words or accuse me of being a "nut case".

Moreover, although I've not had any trouble with coppers, there was a council jobsworth on Broadstairs sea front,  a few years ago,  who insisted that I needed permission to "give out religious leaflets" and called the police when I refused to move on.  To be fair to them, although a copper did come to investigate, he took no action when he saw what I was doing.

However, as this country moves from being post-Christian to anti-Christian we can expect more opposition.  I read, yesterday, of an attempt by Manchester City Council to outlaw street preaching; moreover, evangelists are being routinely challenged by council officials, and there have even been occasions when evangelists have been nicked by over-zealous coppers.  This opposition is likely to increase with government plans to introduce EDOs.  These will give officials the power to stop, and even arrest, street preachers who are "deemed to be extreme".  As many biblical teachings are considered extreme by opponents of the Gospel, this will lead to the police and council officials unleashing a wave of persecution against evangelists.

When that persecution comes what will be our response?  While we shouldn't deliberately seek to provoke people, we also shouldn't behave like chocolate soldiers and melt at the sound of battle.  Are we going to be chocolate soldiers or soldiers of the cross?  That is the stark choice that is being presented to us even as I write this article.

May the Lord give us grace to stand firmly for Him in these dark (but exciting) days.

"Go into all the world (including the local High Street) and preach the Gospel"  Mark 16 v 15

It was the Lord's will to harden their hearts ( see Joshua 11 v 20).

Most Wednesdays I take a Bible study group and recently we went through the book of Joshua.  As we studied it chapter by chapter we noted how God had opened the Jordan river to allow the Israelites, under Joshua, to cross on dry land.  We also noted how they launched a campaign of warfare to capture the promised land.   

Using Gigal as their base they struck out to the Southern and Northern areas of this land and defeated many tribal groups.  When we looked at Chapter 11 we came across a very interesting verse (20) which basically taught that it was God's will to harden the hearts of the tribal groups in that area so that they would come against the Israelites; this then provoked the Israelites to defeat them so completely that they were shown no mercy, and were annihilated.

This verse presents many people with a problem and even Christians find themselves being perplexed.  They reason thus:  "if it was God's will to harden their hearts so that they would attack Israel how can they be blamed for doing so, and how can it be just for the Israelites to wipe them out without mercy".

This is the same line of reasoning that we read about in Romans chapter 9.  In this chapter (verses 9-18) we read of how God chose Jacob and not Esau and that God shows mercy to whom He wishes to show mercy "and whom He wishes, He hardens".  In verse 19 we read of an objection very similar to that contained in the previous paragraph of this article viz.  "how can that be fair?".

The answer given in Romans 9 verse 20 is the same answer I would give to those who object to Joshua 11 v 20 - "who are you, o man, to answer back to God?".

If God, in His sovereignty chooses to show mercy to some and not others then that is His prerogative.  If He chooses to show mercy to Saul the persecutor of Christians, and covert him to the Christian faith then that is His prerogative.  If God chooses not to show mercy to Herod (in Acts chapter 12) but rather to slay him, so that he was eaten by worms, then that is God's prerogative.

What we need to remember is simply this - God does not owe His mercy to anybody.  He would be perfectly just to damn us all for all eternity.  The fact that He chooses to show mercy by opening peoples' spiritual eyes and implanting the gift of faith is purely down to His infinite kindness and goodness.

As the Bible says:  "It is of the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, His compassions they fail not, they are new every morning.   Great is thy faithfulness."  Lamentations 3 v 22-23.

Evolution encourages racism

We all know that the discredited "theory" of evolution (there is not even enough evidence for it to be dignified with the term "theory") is so ridiculous it would be funny if it were not so serious, but what makes it so dangerous is that it encourages racism.  How is this?

The poor creatures who hold to this view believe that man has evolved from lower life forms into the intelligent being he is today; they believe that a line can be established from ape like creatures into modern man.  Indeed, I can remember, as a kid, looking at a "science" text book with these fancy drawings showing this to be so.  What the writer of the attached article didn't say is that these ape like creatures were drawn up from fossil remains that were scattered over a wide area and could have come from several different creatures.   To put these fossil remains together and create a drawing of an ape/man in order to promote a "scientific" fact is delving into the realms of fantasy. 

Darwin believed that because man has supposedly evolved from lower life forms then the races are different from one another in levels of intelligence.  He believed that blacks had a lower level of intelligence than whites because, in his misguided opinion, blacks had not evolved into the same level of intelligence and higher life forms as whites.  I would challenge readers to google "Was Darwin a racist" and see for themselves that what I am writing actually took place.  Darwin really was a racist because his "findings" naturally led him to the conclusion that whites were more intelligent than blacks - it is the logical consequence of the evolutionary "theory".

Not only is this deeply offensive to blacks but it is also virulently opposed to Biblical truth.  In the Bible we read that God created man in His image.  As we read through God's word we see that all people are precious in His sight.  We read that we are all the same as regards to our fallen state with no race of people being any different than another.  We also read that God loves all races and doesn't reserve a special place for whites contrary to the belief of the South African Dutch Reformed Church, (AKA the much deformed church), which, at one time, mis-used the Bible to justify apartheid.  I trust that they have now moved away from their racist past.

As a Christian evangelist it has been my joy, over the years, to meet many Christians who truly love Christ and His word.  I have met White, Black and Asian Christians who are identified by one label only - Christians - followers of Christ; skin colour has no part to play in their conversion to Christ and their daily walk with Him.

Indeed, the Lord Jesus commanded us to "go into all the world and preach the Gospel to everyone" - he did not make any distinction between different "races" of people but wants all to hear the Gospel and for all to be saved through the only way of salvation - faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.  As the Bible says "There is salvation in none other, for there is none other name, under Heaven, given among people, whereby we must be saved" - Acts 4 v 12.

Greek catastrophe - proof the Bible is true.

This blog is in no way political but where there is a clear example of how current events prove the Bible then I will write about it here.  The latest such event to prove that the Bible is true is the dreadful catastrophe in Greece.

That country has been brought to the point of bankruptcy and millions of people are suffering, why is this?  The answer is simple - their prime minister is an atheist.

The Bible teaches that atheists are fools (Psalm 14 v 1) and when Greece decided to elect such a person to run the country then the writing was always going to be on the wall ( and that saying comes from the Bible also, the book of Daniel; reader - see if you can find the reference).

Because atheists don't believe they are accountable to God they behave with breathtaking arrogance and refuse to see reason.  They simply will not listen to anybody else's point of  view even when such views are backed up with clear evidence as in this case.  The evidence for the collapse of the Greek economy has been there for the government to see and yet, given that the PM  is an atheist he has continued to pursue a path which has led to this crisis.

I'm not in the least surprised that this has happened.  Atheists have a long history of ignoring evidence (that's why they are atheists).  They ignore the evidence that there is a God; they ignore the evidence that Jesus is the Son of God, and they ignore the clear, and indisputable proof that the Bible is the inspired and inerrant Word of God.

Why is it that these poor creatures behave in this way?  The answer is simple - the devil has blinded and enslaved them.  He has caught them and is dangling them like a puppeteer dangles his puppet on a string.  If these fools wish to ignore God and end up in Hell then that is their lookout; however, when the consequences are dreadful suffering for millions of people (as in Greece) then that is a profound tragedy indeed.   All of the awful suffering of the Greeks over this matter proves beyond any reasonable doubt that the Bible is true - elect an atheist to office and everybody suffers for it, why? because atheists are fools that cannot see reason.

My only hope is that the Greek PM will yet see the error of his ways, that he will yet repent of his folly and turn to Christ for the salvation of his soul.  Then, perhaps, Greece might have a secure future.

  

The delusions of Bruce Jenner

Bruce Jenner was a Gold Medal decathlete at the 1976 Olympic Games and was, clearly, every inch a man who was worthy to be called such.

However, a few months ago he showed up on the front page of a particularly vile magazine claiming to be a woman and demanding to be called Caitlyn.

I have no animosity for this poor creature only a deep sense of pity,  he is obviously deluding himself.  How can it be that a person born a man can suddenly claim himself to be a woman.  He is NOT a woman - all he has done is to pay a doctor to mutilate his body, thereby wasting money that could have been used to treat a person who was suffering from a serious illness.

This man should rejoice in the creation of God  and stop deluding himself that he can choose his own gender - he can't.

What makes this matter worse is that so many people are queueing  up to give their approval to this act of gross wickedness even, no doubt, apostate ministers who think more of popularity than of being faithful to the inspired, infallible and inerrant word of God - the Bible.

God is sovereign, He chooses the birth that we will have; He chooses what sex we will be; He chooses where we will be born and who our parents will be (one man and one woman, not 2 men or 2 women) and woe betide us if we dare to challenge Him on this whole matter of sexuality, such people will face a serious judgement.

When a person claims to be able to change their sex they are, in effect, telling God He has made a mistake - which is blasphemy.

I truly hope that Bruce Jenner (not Caitlyn) will see the error of his ways, that he will repent and accept Christ as his Lord and Saviour.  The same applies to all people who think they can tell God He has made a mistake.  Bruce Jenner needs to take a good hard look at himself and get right with God.

I close by quoting a line from Daniel 4 v 35 (in this chapter the king, Nebuchadnezzar, thought he was in control of his own destiny and was full of pride and arrogance, but God brought him down until he acknowledged his sin):

God ".....does as He pleases, and no-one can say to Him, what are you doing".

Pray for Yassine Salhi

Yesterday there were 3 terrorist attacks inspired by Islamic Fundamentalism. In Kuwait a suicide bomber killed many people, in Tunisia a gunman killed over 30 people before being shot by police, and in France a man chopped off his boss's head before being captured alive.  

The Frenchman who carried out the killing was one Yassine Salhi, a delivery driver, and I'm very pleased that he was not killed for one very simple reason - he now has the opportunity to hear the Gospel and get saved.  It is, indeed, sad that the Tunisian terrorist wasn't captured alive then he would have had a chance to hear the Gospel.

No doubt many millions of people across Europe are pouring out hatred and invective against M. Salhi but I don't hate him - I pray for him.  This poor man has been brainwashed by a cult into carrying out a wrong act.  Indeed, many Islamists who kill sincerely believe they are getting a ticket to paradise by so doing.  They are misguided and they need to be enlightened by the One who said "I am the light of the world" (John   8 v 12) ; they have been enslaved and they need to be set free by the One who said "You shall know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8 v 32).

I truly and sincerely hope that, while M. Salhi is in prison, someone will give him a New Testament or even a copy of John's Gospel and that this will be the means of him coming to repentance and faith in Christ as his personal Saviour.  If such a miracle were to occur then M. Salhi's slate will be wiped clean and he will have a definite and certain assurance of eternal life in Heaven.

There is a precedence for former terrorists getting saved.  A "loyalist" from N Ireland got saved in prison and is now a Baptist preacher; and there are others, both "loyalist" and "republican" who, having heard that Jesus loves them and died for their sins have been wonderfully converted.

In the meantime, rather than being full of hate for M. Salhi, let all Christians pray for him - that he would come to know the Saviour, for whom to know is life eternal.

The cruellest deception of all.

If I were to ask "What is the worst way one person can deceive another?" I wonder what people would say. By the worst way I mean that which causes the most hurt and distress to the victims.  Perhaps the most common answer I  receive would be on the following lines:  "Con-men who encourage elderly people to sink their life savings on some bogus investment" - this would, indeed, cause huge distress and there have been many examples of this over the years.  When such people are caught  they are often sent to prison, and rightly so.

As far as I'm concerned, and as far as the Bible is concerned, the worst deception is that which has eternal consequences.

This week, in Broadstairs, is the Dickens Festival and I've been going down to the sea-front to pass out tracts and tell people about Jesus.  Yesterday, I got talking to a minister and his wife. They were a very pleasant couple who assured me that they were Christians and knew they were going to Heaven.  However, as the conversation progressed it became clear that they believed everyone goes to Heaven, and that there is no Hell.  There reasoning being that, because Christ died for all mankind that automatically means all people are booked for Heaven.  They further insisted that we are all God's children.

Of course, Christ did die for all mankind but He has to be received as Lord and Saviour in order to obtain eternal life; moreover, only those who receive Christ are God's children (see John 1 v 11-13).  The pardon is offered by God but has to be accepted to take effect.

I told them that they were doing the devil's work by leading people astray, and that people would end up in Hell by following what they were teaching.   How many, I wonder, have sincerely believed they were going to Heaven, even though they had never accepted Christ, only to find that, upon their death, they have woken up in Hell.

Given that the greatest deception is that which has the most distressing consequences, it follows that telling people they are going to Heaven, when they are going to Hell, is clearly the worst and vilest deception of all.

In the Bible we read of false prophets who refused to call people to repentance but rather told them that God was pleased with them (when He wasn't).   The Bible records a strong condemnation of such people for their wickedness.

As a street evangelist I am aware of the awesome responsibility I have to be honest with people with regards to their eternal destiny.  I endeavour to be straight with those I meet and to make it clear that repentance towards God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the only and exclusive way to eternal life; moreover, I make it abundantly clear that the alternative to Heaven is Hell.

In Ezekiel 33 we are warned that if the watchman does not "sound the trumpet" when danger threatens. then the blood of those who perish is on the watchman's hands.  I truly hope that, if those I speak to end up in Hell, it is not because I have given them a false Gospel.

If only he had turned to Christ for deliverance.

I was so sorry to hear, yesterday, of the death of Charles Kennedy.  As politicians go I don't tend to have much regard for them, but Mr Kennedy was an exception.  He seemed to have a sense of decency about him, and his principled stand against the Iraq war won him many friends and much respect.

However, he had a serious drink addiction which, no doubt, caused him grave health problems and may, ultimately, have led to his early death.

It is sad, indeed, when people have addictions that control them and ruin their lives.  No matter how hard they try they cannot seem to shake off that to which they are enslaved.  In a sense, they can't help it, they have been taken over by these addictions and seem to have no power, in themselves, to break free. There are millions of human beings, precious in the sight of God who would dearly love to be set free but they are helplessly entangled.

This is where the glorious Gospel of our Lord and Saviour comes into it's own - Jesus can set them free.  No matter what it is that controls them alcohol, drugs, homosexuality, satanism or whatever the devil is using to control and enslave them, they can be set free through the power of Jesus and His precious blood.

In John 8 v 32 we read "you shall know the truth, and the truth will set you free".   As Jesus Christ is the truth anyone can be set free from their "demons" and set free to serve Christ. We read in 1st Thessalonians 1 v 9  that the people there had turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God.

A wonderful example of this is the powerful testimony of Doreen Irvine as told in her book "From witchcraft to Christ".  The devil truly had a hold on her but she was able to break free through the power of the Gospel.  Incidentally, in her book she relates an incident that occurred when she was involved in witchcraft - she and a colleague attempted to put a curse upon a Christian evangelist but they found that he seemed to be protected by a power that was stronger than the devil.   After she got saved she realised that the power protecting that evangelist was, of course, the blood of Christ which is able to break the chains of sin and addictions that keep people enslaved to the enemy of their souls.

It is so sad to come across so many people who are struggling to be set free but are looking in the wrong places - what these poor people need is not therapy but Christ as their Lord and Saviour.

May God be pleased, as the Gospel goes out on the streets of this dark nation, to draw precious souls to Himself in repentance and faith - then they will know true freedom.

If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new - 2nd Corinthians 5 v 17.

The tragedy of Steve Chalke

I recently wrote an article stating that one of the reasons we know the Bible is true is that Christ's prophecy, regarding apostasy among professed Christians, is coming to pass with alarming regularity (see Matthew 24 v 12-13).  We have witnessed, and continue to witness, many professing Christians falling into serious sins  and not repenting of them.  There are many professing Christian men who have left their wives for another woman (or a man!) and there are many professing Christian women who have, likewise, left their husbands for someone else.

However, apostasy is not confined to moral behaviour; it can also be shown in doctrinal heresy.  Consider the following tragic tale of Steve Chalke, a Baptist "minister" in London:

In the late 1970s, not long after I got saved, Chalke used to preach, from time to time, at the church I attended. His ministry was excellent and I learned much from him.  He was thoroughly Bible based and a joy to listen to.  Moreover, he ran the youth group at a church in South Ashford and a group of us lads would travel over there some Friday nights to hear him when he conducted the youth meetings.  Again, this ministry was based upon the Bible and was extremely uplifting.

However, after he went to Bible college and began to become a leading light in the Baptist Union (which is, in itself, deeply liberal) he began to go downhill theologically.  In the early part of the last decade he ridiculed a literal interpretation of  Genesis.  It wasn't just that he refused to believe in the 6-day creation but he dismissed it as "rubbish".  When I read that I thought to myself "that man is heading for a fall" and so it proved.

A few years later he dismissed the Christian teaching that Jesus was punished by His Father on the cross, labelling it "cosmic child-abuse".  This was a clear departure from the Gospel, but more was to come - a couple of years ago he proudly announced that he was "blessing" unions based upon unnatural perversions, in clear violation of Biblical truth (see Romans 1 v 26-27)

As a further evidence of his continuing downgrade he gave an interview last year in which he stated that the Bible contains mistakes and just last week he "tweeted" his strong support for the "Yes" vote in Ireland which gave legal status to the unnatural perversions that he started blessing 2 years ago.  I accept that people involved in such activities should be treated lovingly, and gently urged to come back to Bible, and I don't approve of homophobia, but, nonetheless, God's word is still crystal clear in this matter.

What should be our response when we read about someone falling away in this manner?

Firstly,  we should pray for them, that God would be pleased to draw them back into the fold of truth.  However, it should be said that very few apostates do so repent.

Secondly,  we should be on our guard lest it happens to us, as the Bible says - "If anyone thinks he stands, let him take head lest he fall" 1st Corinthians 10 v 12.

Thirdly, we should recognise that this is a clear fulfilment of Christ's prophecy mentioned at the start of this article and resolve not to follow the crowd, but to stand firm for the truths of God's infallible word.

It is, indeed, hard to stand firm for truth in an age of apostasy but Christ rewards those who do so - as the Bible says: "He who endures to the end will be saved" - Matthew 10 v 22.

Absolute proof that evolution CANNOT be true.

In recent weeks I have written a series of articles that provide conclusive proof that the Bible is what it says it is - the inspired Word of God.  All scripture is "God-breathed",  God has breathed out His very words in the pages of this wonderful book.

I would like, now, to provide absolute proof that the satan-inspired "theory" of evolution cannot possibly be true.

I remember, as a kid, looking at a series of diagrams in a "science" text book which showed how man had supposedly evolved from lower life forms to become the intelligent being he is today.   The "theory" of evolution, according to these diagrams, shows life ascending upwards away from primitive life forms.

However, there is a fly in the ointment (incidentally, that saying comes from the Bible - Eccles. 10 v 1).  If evolution is true how does one explain the antics of the England football supporters?  If we were to draw an upward line in the evolutionary graph it would take a sharp downward turn when we consider the behaviour of these poor creatures.

An example of this occured last month on St George's Day.   Not being particularly patriotic (my citizenship is in Heaven - Philippians 3 v 20) I am not concerned to celebrate this occasion in any way, shape or form.  However, if people wish to regale one another with supposed stories of the exploits of this "George" character, then that's up to them.   However, on the morning of April 23rd I witnessed a bloke with a huge beer-belly covered by a sea of red and white, and on the front of his shirt the following words "win or lose, I'm on the booze".  No doubt this "person" had such an empty life he had to try and fill it by boozing his way into oblivion.

The point I'm making is simple - if evolution were true then we would expect to see less and less of that kind of behaviour and more sensible intelligence.  Instead of this, we see an increase in what is termed "anti-social behaviour" such as writing foul swear words on a war memorial, or throwing bricks at coppers, as happened just after the election results came through.

If evolution were true then crime would be non-existent and we would be treating each other fairly as we evolve into more intelligent life forms.  The fact that this has not happened is conclusive proof that evolution is, in fact Evil-ution.  It is a barmy "theory" promoted by supposedly intelligent "scientists".  The Bible sums up such people correctly - "professing themselves to be wise, they became fools" (Romans 1 v 22).

The vile behaviour of supposedly intelligent people simply provides further proof the Bible IS true when it sums up human nature in Romans 3 v 10-23, but I'll leave that for another article.

The power of God's Word.

In Romans 10 v 17 we read: "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God".   Over the last 2 millenia there have been untold multitudes who have come to know Christ as their personal Saviour through the reading of God's precious and infallible Word - the Bible.  One such example of this miracle of grace was Sergei Kourdakov in the 1970s, in the former USSR.

Sergei was a nasty bit of work.   He led a group of coppers who had a remit to break up Christian meetings, which remit they fulfilled with extreme violence.  Time and again this gang of thugs would invade Christian meetings and carry out unspeakable acts of savagery against the gentle disciples of Christ.  However, on one such occasion one of their victims was a young lady whom Sergei later called "Natasha" (not her real name, this was withheld for security reasons).  The simple, quiet presence of this Christian girl disturbed him.  When she was present at another meeting a short time later, despite having been badly beaten earlier, Sergei really began to question whether or not he was doing right.

When these meeting were broken up the police would confiscate scriptures.  It was a criminal offence to print a Bible, or even buy one (shades of things to come in the UK?) and the believers would write out scripture portions while listening to Gospel radio broadcasts from the free West.  These confiscated scriptures would be taken to police HQ and  burnt.  One day Sergei was detailed to do the burning and, while his colleague went off to get vodka, he decided to read some of the pages.  What he read was an extract from Luke's Gospel and it penetrated his conscience.  He began to ask himself serious questions about God. 

To cut a long story short he escaped to Canada and obtained asylum.  He not only got saved, but went over N. America speaking to large audiences about the persecution of Christians in communist Russia.  However, such work was highly dangerous and eventually the KGB murdered him.  They tried to make it look like suicide, but he wouldn't have killed himself as he was in the process of writing to a Senator with a view to applying for US citizenship.

His change from being a hardened atheist to a committed servant of Christ came about because of those few pages of Luke's Gospel that he had read while burning God's word.  This is not only a wonderful and thrilling account of how he got saved, but further proof  that the Bible really is what it says it is - the Inspired, Inerrant, Infallible, Invincible and Indestructible Word of the Living God.

Further proof the Bible is true.

Over the last few months I've written articles producing clear evidence that the Bible is the truth.  It is, as it claims, the inspired Word of God.

The fact that it has stood the test of time, it has changed people's lives, and the numerous fulfilled prophecies all bear testimony to it's infallibility.  One example of fulfilled prophecy being the 7-fold prophecy regarding the destruction of Tyre in Ezekiel chapter 26.  The chances of all 7 coming true are are so minuscule it is extremely difficult to accurately compute.  In addition to this is the fact that the numerous prophecies concerning Christ found in the Old Testament were fulfilled in the New Testament.

Another proof of the Bible's inerrancy is being enacted right before our eyes even as I write this article.  In Matthew 24 v 12 Jesus said (referring to the period leading up to His 2nd coming) "because iniquity will abound the love of many will wax cold".

What does that mean?  Simply this, in the time leading up to Christ's 2nd coming there will be an explosion of sinfulness that will be so severe that even many professing Christians will fall away from the faith.  This is exactly what is happening now.  Indeed, for some years there has been a huge increase in such wickedness as unnatural sexual perversions, and the complete breakdown in marriage with many children being born outside the marriage union.  Moreover, any Christian who has the courage to explain Biblical teaching on these matters risks being arrested or sacked from their job. Indeed, this has happened so often that it is not now even reported in the media.

I've no doubt that atheists rejoice as they see an increase of what they term as "secularism"; they seem pleased that the Christian faith has been maligned and Christians are being persecuted in the UK and the US.  Moreover, they glory in "official statistics" that allegedly show a marked decrease in the number of people who believe in the Lord Jesus as their Saviour.

However, what these poor creatures do not realise is that this trend towards iniquity, and away from the Bible, is actually proving that the Bible is true.   As the prophecy of Matthew 24 v 12 is coming to pass this should increase the faith of God's people because it is another evidence we can present to atheists, and all non-Christians, to back up our claim that God's word is absolutely trustworthy.

In the Bible we read that God makes the wrath of man to praise Him (Psalm 76 v 10); the raging of atheists against the Bible as they cite the increase of unbelief shows that this verse is spot on, and absolutely accurate as, indeed, all of the Bible is.

I do not despair as I see the increase in atheistic unbelief, I rejoice that God has given us indisputable proof of the truthfulness of His word.

"Every word of God is pure" - Proverbs 30 v 5.

A bridge for the Gospel

In the last few months I've written a couple of articles about how the cuts in welfare benefits gives Christians a wonderful opportunity for spreading the Gospel.  I wrote about how churches can set up help for the poor in the form of food parcels and, as people come to collect these, then contact can be made with them, with a view to telling them about Jesus.

Proof that this is happening was evident at a meeting I went to last week.  The 2 people hosting this (Roger and Matt) are evangelists with the London City Mission and head up a fine work for the Lord in the Bromley area.   To be more specific, the hall they use is called "Whitefoot Lane Christian Centre" and is situated on the Downham estate.   As a result of benefit cutbacks a real need developed in the area and these 2 dear servants of Christ set up a help centre for those in need.   Help, advice and the provision of food is freely available.  In addition to this a "pastoral table" is also set up staffed by a local minister who is on hand to pray with people and pass on Gospel literature. 

It should be stressed that no recipient of the food help is required to listen to a minister or take literature, and no-one is put under any pressure.   However, those who receive food help are so grateful for this that they are likely to be open and willing to consider the Gospel and listen to someone telling them about Jesus.  As a result of this outreach souls have been saved.

Moreover, during this meeting we were informed that the LCM have a hall in another part of the city that provides a free breakfast for the homeless every day.  Not only do they feed the bodies but also provide food for the soul in the form of  a clear presentation of the Gospel.   Again, souls have been saved through this ministry.

This blog is NOT political and I do not promote any party.   However, I for one, find myself wondering if the benefit cutbacks of the last govt. (2010-2015) have helped to facilitate the spread of the Gospel.  If these benefit cutbacks did not occur then it is unlikely that people would need food parcels and the opportunity for churches would not have been there.   Indeed, one could say that benefit cuts have indirectly caused the  salvation  of souls as needy people seek food help and receive the Gospel as well.

It could well be that God, in His sovereignty, placed a government in charge that cut benefits in order for souls to be saved.   If that is the case then, perhaps, it may be a good thing if the new govt. after May 7 continues this policy.    If welfare benefits are very low, or non-existent, then what a wonderful opportunity to reach out to the poor and needy with the message of Jesus. 

We should be looking for all opportunities to tell others about Jesus, how He died for their sins and rose again; as Paul put it "....by all means save some" - 1st Corinthians 9 v 22

What is the greatest crime you can commit?

The other day someone asked me the following question - "What is the greatest crime you can commit?".  I thought about this for a few moments and then replied "The greatest crime is that which bears the heaviest penalty and, as the heaviest penalty is eternal damnation in Hell, then the greatest crime is to deny that Jesus Christ is the Son of God".

This may seem extreme to many people.  After all, surely the greatest crime would be atrocities committed (eg the holocaust) or some foul deed perpetrated against a defenceless child.  Mankind's history is full of reports of gross wickedness.  Indeed, every time we turn on the news it seems that another dreadful crime has been committed, often against people who were unable to protect themselves.  Of course, while these acts are wrong we need to look at this question from God's perspective and not our narrow, humanistic viewpoint which is often tainted by our sinful, fallen nature.

In John chapter 3 verse 18 we are told that a non-belief in Jesus Christ as the Son of God will put a person under God's condemnation.  Moreover, in John 8 v 24 Jesus said that if people do not believe "that I am He" they would die in their sins.  The phrase "I am He" is a reference to The Lord Jesus as the Son of God and Messiah.

This, coupled with Jesus' claim to be the only way to Heaven (John 14 v 6) leads us to the conclusion that the ultimate penalty for not accepting Jesus Christ as God's Son is eternal punishment.  This can be the only possible consequence  for one very simple reason - when we die we all go to Heaven or Hell and, as Jesus is the only way to the former, those who don't accept Him will inevitably endure the latter.

Moreover, just as mankind's history is full of reports of gross wickedness and foul deeds, it is also full of reports of criminals who have truly repented and accepted Christ as Lord and Saviour (eg Von Ribbentrop, who accepted Christ before he was hanged).  Indeed, if Hitler or Stalin had truly turned to Christ then they would be in Heaven now. Given the nature of Hitler's death it is unlikely he repented but, if he had repented and accepted Christ, and then was hanged for his crimes,  he would be in Heaven now and for all eternity.  The same goes for Adolf Eichman and Saddam Hussein.  Even the worst of criminals can be forgiven for their misdeeds if they are truly repentant and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.

However, if  law-abiding citizens, who have never done any harm to any person, refuse to accept Christ as the Son of God (or even try to remain "neutral") then they WILL face the eternal consequences of their unbelief; they condemn themselves by their rebellion against God, and, in effect calling God a liar (in Matthew 3 v 17 God called Jesus His Son.  Therefore. refusing to accept Christ as the Son of God is to call God a liar).

What I have written above would be considered to be an extreme statement and not worthy of response but it is the truth; it is based upon clear, and undisputed fact.  As Paul said, in Acts 16 v 31 "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved".

  

A blessing or a curse?

It has become clear that the plane crash over the French Alps which killed 150 people was caused deliberately by the co-pilot.  He locked his chief out of the cockpit and put the plane into descend mode taking his own life and 149 others.

It also appears that the Pilot was banging furiously on the door and would have known that the plane was going to crash.  He would have had advanced notice of his death, but did the passengers know that death was only minutes away?

The general consensus among aviation experts is that the passengers probably didn't know the plane was in danger until the last second.  They were, it seems, blissfully unaware that their lives were about to end.  Is it a blessing or a curse not to know you are about to die?

Many will argue it is a blessing, because to know one is going to die is a terrifying experience, but there is one drawback - if you don't know you are about to die you don't have time to prepare for eternity.  If these passengers did not know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour, and they didn't have advanced warning of their deaths, then they will have passed into eternity completely unprepared and will face what the Bible calls eternal punishment.  Therefore, that "blessing" of ignorance will prove to be a curse.

However, if they had known of the impending crash, that terrifying knowledge could have been put to good use by their repentance and faith in Christ as Lord and Saviour.  The curse of knowing you are about to die will be to your eternal blessing if you use that remaining time to turn to Christ.

In the annals of human history there have been numerous occasions when people, knowingly facing death, have found Christ as their Lord and Saviour.  An example being Von Ribbentrop, the Nazi war-criminal, who got saved during the Nuremberg trials. Many other condemned prisoners have testified to having made their peace with God before being executed.

Moreover, when the Titanic was sinking, there were many people praying and seeking after God.    An evangelist named John Harper called many other passengers to repentance and faith in Christ before passing on to higher service.  It is inconceivable that no-one would have heeded his warning.

However, for many poor souls there is no warning of death but their lives have been cut short due to an accident that killed them instantly.   None of us can be sure when we will die, that is why we need to be ready now - as the Bible says:  "Now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation" (2nd Corinthians 6 v 2).

Food banks - an excellent opportunity for the Gospel

In recent months I have come across a number of articles by people bemoaning the fact that "Food Banks" have become more prevalent since the start of the current government.   I also notice that, in my local Waitrose store, there is a large box set aside for customers to make donations of food - tins, cereal packets and so on.

I have mixed feelings about these food parcels; on the one hand it is sad that people who have fallen on hard times have to rely on such handouts.  On the other hand this represents an excellent opportunity for the Gospel to be spread.

I believe that a number of churches are involved in preparing and distributing this help; the question is - are they placing Gospel tracts and booklets inside these food parcels?  If not, then they are missing out on the chance to reach people with the help that they really need.

It is good to help people in need of food and other necessities of life, but what about the Bread of Life being presented to them?  If a church gives practical help in this way, the recipient should be so grateful for this that they would (we hope) be more amenable to read about their need of eternal salvation.

The kind of booklets to be included in this outreach could be one (or a combination) of the following:

1.   A complete New Testament, say provided by the Gideons.

2.   A Gospel of John.  (The 4th book of the New Testament and an eye-witness account of the teachings and miracles of Jesus). I wrote an article recently about the effectiveness of such a booklet in evangelism.

3.  A good selection of well written Gospel tracts.

4.  A chick book, especially "This was your life" - which interested readers can access online.  Simply google "This was your life" chick book.

It could be that the Lord has permitted this situation (the need for food banks) to come about so that churches can avail themselves of the opportunity to spread the word of the everlasting Gospel.

"Go into all the world and preach the Gospel..."   Mark 16 v 15.

Where are they now?

News has come through of the death of Sam Simon, the creator of the cartoon characters known as "The Simpsons", and also the death of Terry Pratchett.

Mr Simon was not only known for his "artistic" talents but also for his atheism.  He was a member of a group called "American Atheists" and was active in promoting this folly.

I have every sympathy for the fact that he died fairly young (at 59), and from cancer, but have no sympathy for his atheist views, nor for the fact that he chose to be so vocal in expressing this line of "thinking".

Moreover, I truly and sincerely hope that he came to his senses before he died.  One advantage that  terminally ill cancer patients have is that they know they are going to die, and have every opportunity to get right with God before doing so.

I well remember about 15 years ago sending an e-mail to a journalist who was suffering from throat cancer.  In this missive I outlined the truths of the Gospel and warned him of the eternal consequences of dying without Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour.  I don't know if he was an atheist but he certainly wasn't a Christian, and I was deeply concerned about his soul.  He used to write articles in the Saturday magazine of The Times about his treatment, and how Christians were sending him tracts and scriptures "in order to bring me round before the big day".

To be fair to him, he did reply to my e mail in a respectful tone and even commended me for my honesty.  In his words "the teaching that those who are not believers are heading for eternal damnation is refreshingly honest".   In an age when people engage in pleasant platitudes instead of speaking truth it impressed him to come across one, such as myself, who was prepared to speak truth even if it caused offence.

I don't know if he did repent and accept Christ before he died, I truly hope he did; but coming back to Mr Simon I strongly suspect that he would have had some knowledge of the Gospel, especially living in a country like the US where Bibles, evangelists and Gospel tracts are everywhere (think: "Chick Books").

If Mr Simon did repent of his atheism and sincerely accepted Christ as Lord and Saviour, before he died, then God has forgiven him and, he is even now  enjoying the presence of the Saviour who died for his sins.  However, if he did not so repent then he now knows there is a God and that he will pay for his rebellion and unbelief for all eternity.

The same applies to Terry Pratchett the writer of fantasy books.  He not only wrote fantasy books but dealt in fantasy as he was an atheist.  I sincerely hope that he repented and accepted Christ before he died.  Again, if he did not so repent then he is also facing an eternity of bitter regret.  As the Bible says: "God is not mocked, whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap" - Galatians 6 v 7.

Israel - proof God exists and that the Bible is true.

I watched excerpts from the Israeli PM's speech before the US congress yesterday and was thrilled to hear him say "Even if Israel has to stand alone, Israel WILL stand".

Looking at the title of this article many will ask "How does a political speech prove that God exists and that the Bible is true?".  That is a fair question and I will answer it.

In the Old Testament we read of the historic link between the land of Israel and the Jewish race.   God gave the Jews this land but, sadly, through disobedience to His laws they were uprooted and taken into exile.  However, God's love for the Jews never diminished and He promised, in the last 2 verses of Amos, that the Jews would return to their land "and never again be uprooted".

During the 1800s Jews migrated to the land we know as Israel and, in time, the trickle became a flood and, in 1948, Israel was created as an internationally recognised state.  Immediately the Arab nations set out to destroy it but failed in their aim.  (This, in itself, was a miracle when one considers that Israel had no proper army and many of the Jews couldn't even understand one another as they had come from all parts of Europe).

Over the last 7 decades Israel has endured constant attacks from terrorist groups and the Jews, as a people, have suffered huge persecution.  However, despite all this, Israel continues to stand.  It is the only democracy in the Middle-East and the most powerful country in the region.

All of this was only possible because there is a God who keeps his promises.  Humanly speaking, when the Jews were uprooted and dispersed they should have eventually disappeared as a race but they have survived and their own country has survived.

This not only tells us that there is a God who keeps His promises but that the Bible is true.  During the wilderness centuries when the Jews were without a homeland it looked impossible for this Biblical prediction to come true; and yet, against all odds, it did so.

Truly, there is a God, and truly, the Bible is His inspired, inerrant and infallible Word.

"... and I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the Lord thy God."  Amos 9 v 15

Atheists are playing with peoples' lives

For many years the Gideons have had permission to place Bibles in hotel rooms and student halls of residence at universities.  Over that time many people have come to know Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour through reading these Bibles.

However, in recent years an increasing number of hotels and student rooms have banned these Bibles following pressure from narrow-minded and spiteful atheists who cannot abide the fact that the Bible is so readily available for people to read and enjoy.  (If they were as tolerant as they make out then they would take the line that, although they don't believe the Bible, they have no objections to others doing so.  If they came across God's Word in a hotel room they would simply ignore it). 

Their actions have deprived people from the chance to read God's Word and come to know personal salvation through faith in Christ.  Not content with not entering God's kingdom themselves they hinder others from doing so (see Matthew 23 v 13).

Moreover, there is another serious consequence of their misguided actions and it runs like this - a number people have stated that they became so depressed they wished to commit suicide, but what stopped them from taking their own lives was reading the Gideon Bible they found in their hotel room or student lodging.  Their lives were literally saved by God's Word.

However, with the decrease in the availability of Bibles in such rooms there is likely to be an increase in the number of people who, sadly, end their lives because they believe there is no hope and no point in living.  Consequently, by campaigning to ban Gideon Bibles, atheists are contributing to peoples' deaths - shame on them.

These poor creatures, who are so full of hostility and spite against the Bible, should reflect upon their wrongdoing and, if they are honest with themselves admit that their extreme intolerance is, quite literally, playing with peoples' lives.

I do truly hope that, having so reflected upon this, they will realise their own spiritual bankruptcy and turn to Christ for the salvation of their souls.

May the Lord be pleased to show these foolish people the error of their ways before it is too late.

Psalm 53 v 1 "The fool has said in his heart 'there is no God' "

The wind blows where it wishes

In John chapter 3 the work of the Holy Spirit is likened to a wind.  Consider what Jesus said in verse 8 viz.  "The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes.  So is everyone who is born of the Spirit".

In this verse Jesus is likening the work of the Holy Spirit to a wind in 2 ways:

1.  Just as you cannot see the wind but can see it's effects (eg the trees swaying), so we cannot see the Holy Spirit but we can see His work in people's lives when He transforms them by His power.  The Bible states that when people come to know Christ then they are new creations (see 2nd Cor 5 v 17), this is because the Spirit of God has worked in them.

2.  The wind blows where it wishes, as it wishes, in what direction it wishes and at what speed it wishes.  This is just like the work of the Holy Spirit.  Let's look at the following scenario - 2 people hear the Gospel; they hear that Jesus died for their sins and rose again (1st Cor 15 v 3-4), they hear the call to repentance that God gives to all mankind (Acts 17 v 30-31) and they hear that they need to put their trust in Christ as their personal Saviour by receiving Him (John 1 v 11-13).   One of these people, we'll call him John, rejected what he heard and dismissed it from his mind.  The other person, we'll call him Mark, was deeply affected by what he had heard and, over a period of time, he responded by repenting of his sins and accepting Christ as his personal Saviour.  Why did John reject the Gospel and Mark accept it?  The answer is simple - the wind blows where it wishes; the Holy Spirit blew into the mind, heart and life of Mark, but not John.  In short, Mark became "born-again" of the Holy Spirit, but John was left "in his sins".

Let's look clearly at the implications of what Jesus was teaching here.  When I go out on the streets and pass out tracts I am, in effect, preaching the Gospel in the sense that I'm giving people the free offer of the Gospel.  However, because the natural state of people is spiritual blindness and deadness they WILL NOT respond by repenting and accepting Christ unless, and until, the Holy Spirit blows into their lives.  If He deigns to do so then whey WILL get saved; however, if He doesn't do so then they will remain in their sins, and face the due penalty for their sin and rebellion when they pass into eternity.

This clear teaching of Christ should be a spur to us to continue the work of evangelism knowing that the Holy Spirit is powerful, and even the most hardened and abusive sinner can be saved if He so wishes to blow into their lives.

The power of "John's Gospel"

The Gospel of John is the 4th book in the New Testament and is an eye-witness account of the miracles and teaching of Christ.  It is widely used in evangelism; the Open Air Mission evangelistic teams will often offer a John's Gospel after doing an open air talk and many of these are taken by seekers every week.  Over the years I have been thrilled to hear of people who have got saved through the simple reading of this marvellous book as the Holy Spirit has opened their eyes - a few examples are below:

A Greek shepherd, looking after his sheep on the hillside fell asleep due to the warm weather.  When he awoke a stranger stood looking at him who then gave him a John's Gospel in modern Greek.  This stranger then walked away and left him to it.  Through the reading of this portion of God's Word he got saved.

Two evangelists in Chatham were preaching the Gospel and passing out tracts; a lady came over with a serious tale of woe concerning all manner of personal problems.  They gave her a John's Gospel.  She sat up reading it until the early hours when she gave her life to Christ.

A few weeks ago in Ramsgate I got into conversation with a Christian man who told me that he got saved after his GP had given him a John's Gospel.  Clearly, while it is right to help people medically, many need Dr Jesus to put them right.

A violent prisoner who was serving a sentence for murder found a tract in a cupboard; she sent off to the address on the back and received a John's Gospel.  After reading it she got saved and, after her release, testified that God had taken away all the hate out of her heart.

A Brazilian drug dealer who was transformed by the power of God's Word used his "drug dealing bag"- not for carrying drugs - but carrying John's Gospels to give to other needy souls.

When Russian tanks rolled into Romania in 1945 a Christian couple, Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand, didn't flee like most people.  Instead, they stood at the roadside offering John's Gospels to the tank commanders.  They also went to the local train station and met the troop trains passing out these Gospels to the soldiers before the KGB officers could intervene.  Souls were saved through these endeavours.

Bearing all the above in mind, it is a great privilege to use Open Air  Mission tracts - they have a coupon at the back inviting people to fill it in and send it to the office.  They then receive a copy of John's Gospel and various other material to aid them in their search for God.

Let us re-double our efforts to pass out God's Word to people knowing that "faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" - Romans 10 v 17.

Do atheists have a 1 in 400 million chance of being right?

To expand the title of this article I ask: Do atheists have a 1 in 400 million chance of being right when they say the Bible is not true, and that "fulfilled prophecies" are pure chance?

Of course, the answer is that atheists are 100% wrong in their rejection of God and His infallible word - The Bible; there is no chance they are right, not even 1 in 400 million.  However, I quote this statistic because I've been reading an excellent book by Pastor John MacArthur entitled "Why believe the Bible?".

In this book mention is made of a mathematician, Peter W Stoner, who studied the 7 prophecies on Tyre in Ezekiel 26 v 3-16.  These prophecies state the following:

1.  That Nebuchadnezzar would take the city.

2.  Other nations would help fulfil the prophecies.

3.  Tyre would be flattened like the top of a rock.

4.  The city would become a place where fishermen spread their nets.

5.  Tyre's stones and timbers would be laid in the sea.

6.  Other cities would have great fear because of Tyre's fall.

7.  The old city of Tyre would never be rebuilt.

Mr Stoner set his students the task of working out the probability of all 7 prophecies being right and they came up with a figure of 1 in 400 million.

ALL 7 prophecies came to pass exactly as the Bible predicted.  Therefore, unless you believe that these happened by blind chance then you MUST believe the Bible in order to be consistent with the principle of fair play and objective analysis.

However,  despite the clear evidence I've presented above atheists will probably refuse to accept that the Bible is God's word, for one very simple reason - "a man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still".

As I've stated many times in this blog, these poor creatures have been blinded and enslaved by the devil.  It will take a sovereign work of God's Holy Spirit to enlighten them.

In the meantime, my own confidence in the Bible as infallible and inerrant continues to be unshaken - it IS the Word of God and it IS absolutely trustworthy.  Therefore, I stake my eternal destiny on its teachings.

"ALL scripture is given by inspiration of God......."  2nd Timothy 3 v 16

Why do people get saved?

No doubt Christian street evangelists must, from time to time, ask themselves why it is that people refuse the Gospel;  after all, we see so many rejections such a question is inevitable.  Of course, we know the answer - these poor creatures have been so blinded and enslaved by the devil they cannot see their need of Christ.  A more pertinent question would be - "given that the natural state of man is one of spiritual blindness, how is that anyone gets saved?"  The surprise should not be that people refuse the Gospel but that anyone comes to repentance and faith in Christ as Lord and Saviour.

However, people are getting saved; even as I write this, there is someone, somewhere, turning to Christ for salvation of their soul.  Why is this?  If the natural state of man is one of spiritual blindness why do people get saved?  I will answer that in the following points:

1.  Because truth has been revealed to them.

In Mathew 16 Jesus asked His disciples who they say that He is.   When Peter stated that Jesus was the Son of God Jesus replied that that was revealed to him "by my Father in Heaven"  (v 17).  The clear implication was that, if this truth had not been revealed to Peter, then he would not have had the spiritual perception to believe it.

2. Because God has drawn them.

In John 6 v 44 Jesus said: "No one can come to me unless the Father, who sent me, draws him....."  Without the drawing of God people will not believe.  When, therefore, people do believe it is because they have been so drawn.

3.  Because they are enabled to believe.

In John 6 v 65 Jesus taught that people cannot come to Him unless they have been "enabled" by the Father.   Again, the lesson is that if people do come to Christ then they have been given the enabling to do so.

4. Because they are sheep who respond to the voice of the shepherd.

In John 10 v 27 we read that the sheep hear Christ's voice and they follow Him.  The non-sheep do NOT hear the voice.  They may hear the external call of the Gospel (eg. be offered a tract) but they won't respond unless they are sheep.  This is further proved by v 26 where Jesus said to a group of people "you do not believe because you are not of my sheep"

5.  Because they've been appointed to eternal life.

In Acts 13 v 48 we read that "those appointed to eternal life believed".  The inference being that those not so appointed (the non-sheep) will not believe.

6.  Because their hearts have been opened.

In Acts 16 v 14 we read that Lydia's heart was opened so that she would respond to the Gospel that Paul was preaching, and she got saved.  The implication being that if her heart wasn't so opened it would have remained  closed and hardened.

I have absolute confidence that, when I spread the Gospel, then God will be pleased to draw His people, in His own time and in His own way.
 

Matthew 6 v 33 is true - I've proved it!

When it comes to proving that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God we can point to fulfilled prophecies and archeological discoveries.  Indeed, no scientific fact has ever disproved the Bible despite what Dawkins and Hawking claim  (professing themselves to be wise they became fools Romans - 1 v 22).

("Scientists" who make discoveries that they claim disproves the Bible are NOT true scientists at all but imposters doing the devil's work at his bidding).

However, there is another avenue we can go down when giving people evidence that the Bible is true, and that is personal experience.

In Matthew chapter 6 Jesus taught that we need not worry about our material needs as God is in control. He then goes on to say (in v 33) that if we seek first God's kingdom then He will ensure that our needs will be met. In my life I have proved this to be so.   In February, 1981 I got married; we had very little of this world's goods and yet the Lord enabled us to buy our own place instead of renting.  Over the years money has been extremely scarce, as I've never had a professional job with an income to match, but we have always put God first in our lives with the result that He has provided.

About 18 years ago the Lord led me to reduce my secular employment and spend more time doing street evangelism.  Humanly speaking this was a daft idea, as we still had our sons living at home and little money coming in, BUT God provided for our needs to such an extent that we have a house that is more than adequate for our needs with no mortgage on it.

When people reject the Bible as God's word they may produce all maner of arguments which, of course, are all wrong, but they cannot argue against a personal testimony.  Militant athiests can rail against the Bible as much as they like but they will not be able to shake to confidence of God's people that the Bible is truly inspired, inerrant, infallible, invincible and indestructible.

Millions of Christians down through the ages can say with the Psalmist "The Lord has done great things for us; whereof we are glad" Psalm 126 v 3

PS.  It seems that some of my detractors are accusing me of being on welfare benefits, this is NOT the case.

Stephen Hawking 73rd birthday

I understand from the news that Prof Stephen Hawking was 73 yesterday.

On a personal  level I wish him well, especially when one considers the awful physical disability that he has had to contend with.  However, he is an extremely godless man and one who holds to unsound views regarding science and the origin of the world.

However, his most infamous statement was made a few years ago when he said that the afterlife "was a fairy story".

Why is it that otherwise intelligent people will make such wild assertions? The answer is three-fold:

1.   They know there is an eternity to face but they suppress this knowledge.

The Bible teaches that God "has written eternity" in peoples' hearts. (Eccles. 3 v 11).  Deep down everybody knows that there is a God and that we will have to face Him when we die.  We all know that there is a Heaven and a Hell.  I well remember a conversation I had a few years ago, in Canterbury, with a chap who said that he was hoping to go to "the nice place" when he died.   However, rather than seek after God most people suppress this truth in their hearts, and one way they do is to make the kind of absurd declaration that Hawking did

2.  They don't want to acknowledge that they are accountable.

If the ungodly accept that there is a God, and an eternity to face, then the next logical step is to acknowledge that they must give account to God.  Once people recognise that they must give account to a God who sees everything, then they realise that their lives must change ie. they must repent of their sins and get right with God.   As they are rebellious in their hearts they don't want to repent, hence they reject any notion of an afterlife.

3.  The devil has blinded and enslaved them.

The ultimate reason Hawking and his ilk reject God, and the truth of eternity, is that the devil has blinded them - 2nd Cor 4 v 4.  These poor creatures simply cannot help themselves; they are caught like insects in a spider's web.  Instead of condemning Hawking I find myself being full of pity for him, I find myself wanting to pray that God would be pleased to open his eyes and draw him away from the devil's clutches.

Let us all pray that, in 2015, many people would be enlightened concerning the truth of eternity, and many souls saved.