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.
Monday, 19 January 2015
Tuesday, 13 January 2015
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.
("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.
Friday, 9 January 2015
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.
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.
Tuesday, 6 January 2015
What do the following 4 incidents have in common?
Think carefully over the following four incidents and ask yourself what is the common theme running through them:
1. The sinking of the Titanic - 1912
2. The attack on Pearl Harbour - 1941
3. The bombing of the King David Hotel - 1946
4. The death of Georgie Best - 2005
In 1912 the "unsinkable" Titanic sank with the loss of over 1500 lives after striking an iceberg on her maiden voyage. It seems that, in the hours prior to the collision with the iceberg a number of warnings were issued to the ship from other ships in the area. However, these warnings were not heeded with the result that a huge, and preventable, tragedy occured
In 1941 the Japs attacked the US base of Pearl Harbour in the Pacific. This action led to the Yanks getting involved in WW2. Just 30 minutes before the first planes arrived a radar operator noticed their advance and told his superiors, but the warning was ignored. Had the warning been heeded the base would have been better defended and many American lives would have been saved.
In 1946 the Irgun bombed the King David Hotel which was the headquarters of the British forces occupying Israel. This led to 91 deaths and 46 serious injuries. The attack was widely condemned even by supporters of Israel. However, it should be pointed out that the Irgun gave warnings to evacuate the building and these were ignored, the part played by Sir John Shaw being particularly criticised. Had the warnings been heeded then it is likely that the huge loss of life would have been prevented.
In 2005 Georgie Best died of an alcohol related illness. In his day he was one of the best footballers in the world, but he had a serious drink problem. In 2002 he had a liver transplant which gave him a new lease of life. His doctors warned him to lay off the booze or he would die. He ignored the warnings and, sadly, passed away at the age of 59. Had he accepted the warning he would have had a very good chance of living a long life with a reasonable degree of health.
Do you see the common theme running through all this? - Yes, warnings ignored with tragic consequences.
Time and again we read of people who have ignored warnings and suffered consequences (think: a well known motor racing driver who was skiing off-piste). This brings me to the main point of the article which is this - the Bible warns us of the fact (and it IS a fact) that we must all face eternity when we die. We will face God and give account to Him (Hebrews 9 v 27) This is bad news because we have all done wrong things in the sight of God, we are ALL sinners worthy of God's judgement for all eternity.
However, the Bible tells us that Jesus died as a sacrifice for our sins and rose again to be our Saviour so that we can avoid Hell and go to Heaven. All those who truly repent of their sins and accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour will have the slate wiped clean and be booked for Heaven; however, those who ignore the warning, and the call to repentance, will suffer the eternal consequences in Hell.
It is for this reason that I regularly go out onto the streets of East Kent with Gospel tracts. I truly, truly hope that many people would heed the warning and get right with God before it is too late.
"Behold, now is the accepted time, behold now is the day of salvation" 2nd Cor. 6 v 2
1. The sinking of the Titanic - 1912
2. The attack on Pearl Harbour - 1941
3. The bombing of the King David Hotel - 1946
4. The death of Georgie Best - 2005
In 1912 the "unsinkable" Titanic sank with the loss of over 1500 lives after striking an iceberg on her maiden voyage. It seems that, in the hours prior to the collision with the iceberg a number of warnings were issued to the ship from other ships in the area. However, these warnings were not heeded with the result that a huge, and preventable, tragedy occured
In 1941 the Japs attacked the US base of Pearl Harbour in the Pacific. This action led to the Yanks getting involved in WW2. Just 30 minutes before the first planes arrived a radar operator noticed their advance and told his superiors, but the warning was ignored. Had the warning been heeded the base would have been better defended and many American lives would have been saved.
In 1946 the Irgun bombed the King David Hotel which was the headquarters of the British forces occupying Israel. This led to 91 deaths and 46 serious injuries. The attack was widely condemned even by supporters of Israel. However, it should be pointed out that the Irgun gave warnings to evacuate the building and these were ignored, the part played by Sir John Shaw being particularly criticised. Had the warnings been heeded then it is likely that the huge loss of life would have been prevented.
In 2005 Georgie Best died of an alcohol related illness. In his day he was one of the best footballers in the world, but he had a serious drink problem. In 2002 he had a liver transplant which gave him a new lease of life. His doctors warned him to lay off the booze or he would die. He ignored the warnings and, sadly, passed away at the age of 59. Had he accepted the warning he would have had a very good chance of living a long life with a reasonable degree of health.
Do you see the common theme running through all this? - Yes, warnings ignored with tragic consequences.
Time and again we read of people who have ignored warnings and suffered consequences (think: a well known motor racing driver who was skiing off-piste). This brings me to the main point of the article which is this - the Bible warns us of the fact (and it IS a fact) that we must all face eternity when we die. We will face God and give account to Him (Hebrews 9 v 27) This is bad news because we have all done wrong things in the sight of God, we are ALL sinners worthy of God's judgement for all eternity.
However, the Bible tells us that Jesus died as a sacrifice for our sins and rose again to be our Saviour so that we can avoid Hell and go to Heaven. All those who truly repent of their sins and accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour will have the slate wiped clean and be booked for Heaven; however, those who ignore the warning, and the call to repentance, will suffer the eternal consequences in Hell.
It is for this reason that I regularly go out onto the streets of East Kent with Gospel tracts. I truly, truly hope that many people would heed the warning and get right with God before it is too late.
"Behold, now is the accepted time, behold now is the day of salvation" 2nd Cor. 6 v 2
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