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.
Tuesday, 14 July 2015
Friday, 10 July 2015
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.
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.
Saturday, 4 July 2015
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.
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.
Thursday, 2 July 2015
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".
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".
Saturday, 27 June 2015
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 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.
Tuesday, 16 June 2015
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.
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.
Wednesday, 3 June 2015
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.
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.
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