Next week sees the 10th anniversary of the Soham murders. We can all remember the deep sense of shock felt at the senseless killings of two young girls. No doubt when Ian Huntley was convicted and sent to prison many people felt that his sentence was well deserved and that he was "beyond redemption".
However, while his sentence may well have been deserved no-one is "beyond redemption". Even the vilest, most wicked of people can be delivered from the darkness of sin and its bondage to be brought into the light and liberty of the Gospel. As the Bible puts it, they can be turned "from darkness to light and from the power of satan unto God" - Acts 26 v 18.
As a street evangelist I have sometimes been asked if it is possible for murderers and other criminals to be saved and I answer emphatically "YES". There are a number of examples of God's grace in action; a Baptist preacher in the North of England who used to be a terrorist before his conversion in prison, another Baptist preacher in Wales who used to be a drug dealer, again, before being converted in prison.
Then there are the numerous examples of people who have been involved in wartime atrocities who, after being convinced of the error of their ways have turned to Christ and become "Born again" of the Holy Spirit. In this respect I think of the Nazis at Nuremberg (8-9 of them came to know Christ as their personal Saviour while on trial) and the Jap pilate who led the attack on Pearl Harbor - Mitsuo Fuchida, who was converted some years after the war and went on to become an evangelist.
Indeed, people who have been guilty of bad crimes can be more likely candidates for salvation than law abiding citizens who think that they are so good they don't need to be saved. Perhaps this is why prison ministry can be so fruitful as the evangelist doesn't need to convince prisoners that they are sinners in need of salvation, they know they have done wrong and need to change. However, you try convincing law abiding people that they need to repent of their sins and accept Christ and they complain that you have insulted them!
Let us remember the words of Paul in 2nd Corinthians 5 v 17 "...if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, behold all things have become new".
Wednesday, 25 July 2012
Wednesday, 11 July 2012
Where is she now?
News has come through in the national press of the death of Hollie Stevens at the age of 30. Hollie who? I hear you say. Yes, I agree, I've never heard of her before but apparently she appeared in scores of pornographic films and internet web sites. No doubt she made a lot of money through living a life of extreme sinfulness but what good did it do her now she has passed into eternity. Moreover, it has also come to my attention, again through the national press, that Sylvia Kristel is dangerously ill with an advanced form of cancer. This "lady" starred in a number of extremely rude films in the 1970s. I have never seen these films but the reviews made it clear what they contained.
These people, and many more like them, lead lives that are clearly in rebellion against God and His word. They act with a brazenness which is, quite frankly, frightening; but what happens to them when death finally comes? While writing I'm reminded of Oliver Reed, a so-called "Hell raiser" who died while engaging in a bout of drunkeness. Again, what good is their fame and fortune when they are roasting in the flames of an eternal Hell?
In the case of Hollie Stevens, she did have time to prepare for death and one hopes that she repented and turned to Christ. One also hopes the same for Syliva Kristel. However, in Oliver Reed's case he didn't have time to repent as he died while in an act of sin - so we can say definitely that he is in Hell, and will remain so for all eternity without respite.
Of course, even devout Christians can contract serious illness, but at least we know our souls are saved and we have God's peace in the midst of trial - not so the unsaved.
The words of Psalm 37 are apt here viz. "Fret not thyself because of evildoers neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like grass and wither as the green herb" (verses 1 and 2).
It is very easy to get downcast because of the amount of extreme evil in the world today and, for the present, it seems that the wicked are in the ascendancy but they will be cut down, then it is the eternal flames for them. As the Bible says "The triumphing of the wicked is short". Job 20 v 5
These people, and many more like them, lead lives that are clearly in rebellion against God and His word. They act with a brazenness which is, quite frankly, frightening; but what happens to them when death finally comes? While writing I'm reminded of Oliver Reed, a so-called "Hell raiser" who died while engaging in a bout of drunkeness. Again, what good is their fame and fortune when they are roasting in the flames of an eternal Hell?
In the case of Hollie Stevens, she did have time to prepare for death and one hopes that she repented and turned to Christ. One also hopes the same for Syliva Kristel. However, in Oliver Reed's case he didn't have time to repent as he died while in an act of sin - so we can say definitely that he is in Hell, and will remain so for all eternity without respite.
Of course, even devout Christians can contract serious illness, but at least we know our souls are saved and we have God's peace in the midst of trial - not so the unsaved.
The words of Psalm 37 are apt here viz. "Fret not thyself because of evildoers neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like grass and wither as the green herb" (verses 1 and 2).
It is very easy to get downcast because of the amount of extreme evil in the world today and, for the present, it seems that the wicked are in the ascendancy but they will be cut down, then it is the eternal flames for them. As the Bible says "The triumphing of the wicked is short". Job 20 v 5
Monday, 11 June 2012
From EP to ET in minutes
We often read car adverts that boast a performance speed so impressive that it can reach 0-60 in, say, 4 seconds. After hearing of yet another drug related death of a young person, at a party last week-end, the thought came to me that he went from Ecstatic Pleasure to Eternal Torments in a matter of minutes.
A terrible blight upon this once great country is the state of our young people. Most of them seem to live for hedonistic pleasure. Their lives consist of a constant round of drunkenness and drug taking at wild parties, and frequent acts of fornication. No doubt while they are "enjoying" themselves they have no thought for God, their souls or their eternal destinies. The godless behaviour of these "people" is extremely brazen; it is almost as if they are deliberately seeking to shake their fists in rebellion against God and His infallible word - the Bible.
However, God is not mocked, Whatever a person sows, he reaps (Galatians 6 v 7). These young people, (and no doubt many middle-aged and elderly people) who seem to think they are able to live ungodly lives with impunity, have a big shock coming to them. When death strikes (often unexpectedly) they are then thrust into eternity. If they haven't repented then they will endure the torments of Hell, one second of which will obliterate all the pleasant memories of sinful behaviour. I well remember preaching in the open-air on Broadstairs sea-front when a man came past boasting that "sin is fun". I do hope that for his sake he repents of such stupidity and wickedness.
Indeed, even as people are engaged in acts of vile sinfulness they may well be ushered into Hell's torments - remember Diana. Even while she was conducting an adulteress affair she was struck down. It is reported that she didn't die instantly but was conscious for a while after the accident - I hope she repented, for her sake.
As Christians we are often under pressure to conform to the wickedness of the day and persecuted for not doing so, but we will have the last laugh. We are heading for Heaven's joys, the unsaved are heading for Hell's fires. We are the ones who will be rejoicing for all eternity in the presence of the one who loved us and gave Himself for us. As the Psalmist says: "I will be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness" Psalm 17 v 15
A terrible blight upon this once great country is the state of our young people. Most of them seem to live for hedonistic pleasure. Their lives consist of a constant round of drunkenness and drug taking at wild parties, and frequent acts of fornication. No doubt while they are "enjoying" themselves they have no thought for God, their souls or their eternal destinies. The godless behaviour of these "people" is extremely brazen; it is almost as if they are deliberately seeking to shake their fists in rebellion against God and His infallible word - the Bible.
However, God is not mocked, Whatever a person sows, he reaps (Galatians 6 v 7). These young people, (and no doubt many middle-aged and elderly people) who seem to think they are able to live ungodly lives with impunity, have a big shock coming to them. When death strikes (often unexpectedly) they are then thrust into eternity. If they haven't repented then they will endure the torments of Hell, one second of which will obliterate all the pleasant memories of sinful behaviour. I well remember preaching in the open-air on Broadstairs sea-front when a man came past boasting that "sin is fun". I do hope that for his sake he repents of such stupidity and wickedness.
Indeed, even as people are engaged in acts of vile sinfulness they may well be ushered into Hell's torments - remember Diana. Even while she was conducting an adulteress affair she was struck down. It is reported that she didn't die instantly but was conscious for a while after the accident - I hope she repented, for her sake.
As Christians we are often under pressure to conform to the wickedness of the day and persecuted for not doing so, but we will have the last laugh. We are heading for Heaven's joys, the unsaved are heading for Hell's fires. We are the ones who will be rejoicing for all eternity in the presence of the one who loved us and gave Himself for us. As the Psalmist says: "I will be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness" Psalm 17 v 15
Monday, 28 May 2012
A subtle form of persecution
Ever since the Christan faith came into being the followers of Jesus have been persecuted. Indeed, Jesus warned His followers that we would be hated because we belong to Him (John 15 v 18-21). Moreover, in 2nd Tim 3 v 12 we are told that all those who seek to live godly lives will be persecuted.
This hatred is played out in various forms, the most extreme being physical violence resulting in martyrdom. Over the last 100 years more Christians have been martyred for their faith than in the previous 19 centuries put together.
However, persecution doesn't always occur through physical violence. Sometimes opponents of the Gospel use other tactics eg. dismissal at the workplace for wearing a cross or speaking about Jesus. Another tactic is to target Christian guest houses and insist that homos can book to stay there. Still another way these people work is to use innuendo and false accusation - in this I have suffered persecution. When I open my blog I frequently find comments from people accusing me of being full of hate. This very morning I read a comment from one Barry Duke, the editor of the "Freethinker", in which he accuses me of being a homosexual. He also makes this assertion on the comments page of his blog knowing that I don't have the right of reply. This shows that, as well as being opponents of the Gospel, Mr Duke and his ilk are cowards. They fire off vitriol and spite at those who dare to speak up for the truths of God's infallible word, and then scurry off into a corner - no doubt sniggering to themselves like silly kids in a school playground.
What should be our response to this kind of behaviour?
First of all, we should not be cowed into submission. This kind of attack will only strengthen my resolve to continue writing the truth of God's word and shine the Gospel light in the midst of a wicked and perverse nation.
Secondly, we should resist the temptation to engage in the same tactic of juvenile name-calling as that would be to simply go down to their level.
Thirdly, we should pray for them; we should pray that God would be pleased to open their eyes and implant the gift of faith. Some of the most zealous Christian evangelists today were once fierce opponents of the Gospel and persecutors of Christians.
Let us remember the words of the Saviour in Matthew 5 v 11-12 when He stated that those who suffer insults for His sake will have their reward in Heaven.
Remember, too, the old saying "The one who laughs last, laughs longest".
Friday, 11 May 2012
Nazi tactics from the government
One of the ways in which the Nazis, under propaganda minister - Joseph Goebbels, gave the impression that Germans fully supported them was to stamp out free speech. Of course, such a thing doesn't exist in our freedom loving land - or does it?
Over the last few months there has been an outpouring of opposition to Cameron's plans to re-define marriage by allowing Homos to "marry". The petition set up by the "coalition to save marriage" has passed the half-million mark and is still rising. Tory MPs are getting a sackful of post or e-mails from voters voicing their concerns that a conservative Prime Minister should support such a thing.
Cameron claims that people are being given the chance to give their views to the government in a "consultation" process. However, this so-called consultation is a sham. Many feel that Cameron has already made up his mind and is rigging the consultation process.
The "coalition to save marriage" set up a site that enabled people to put their consultations to the government; but the thousands of submissions passed to the government through that web-site have been blocked. This is a sinister development as it proves that we don't live in a democracy where free speech prevails - we live in a "liberal-fascist" state. In such a country you can freely express your views as long as they agree with the liberal elite. This is a subtle form of persecution but it will not silence those who belong to the Lord and wish to proclaim the truth of God's infallible word.
I would not seek to do any harm to homos but the Bible is crystal clear - homosexuality is a gross and vile perversion, it is an abomination. Those involved in it, and their supporters, need to repent and seek God's mercy by trusting Jesus as their personal Saviour. If they don't do this then they WILL face the flames of an eternal Hell when they die.
Whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. Rev 20 v 15
Over the last few months there has been an outpouring of opposition to Cameron's plans to re-define marriage by allowing Homos to "marry". The petition set up by the "coalition to save marriage" has passed the half-million mark and is still rising. Tory MPs are getting a sackful of post or e-mails from voters voicing their concerns that a conservative Prime Minister should support such a thing.
Cameron claims that people are being given the chance to give their views to the government in a "consultation" process. However, this so-called consultation is a sham. Many feel that Cameron has already made up his mind and is rigging the consultation process.
The "coalition to save marriage" set up a site that enabled people to put their consultations to the government; but the thousands of submissions passed to the government through that web-site have been blocked. This is a sinister development as it proves that we don't live in a democracy where free speech prevails - we live in a "liberal-fascist" state. In such a country you can freely express your views as long as they agree with the liberal elite. This is a subtle form of persecution but it will not silence those who belong to the Lord and wish to proclaim the truth of God's infallible word.
I would not seek to do any harm to homos but the Bible is crystal clear - homosexuality is a gross and vile perversion, it is an abomination. Those involved in it, and their supporters, need to repent and seek God's mercy by trusting Jesus as their personal Saviour. If they don't do this then they WILL face the flames of an eternal Hell when they die.
Whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. Rev 20 v 15
Wednesday, 25 April 2012
Jerry Hunt is under God's judgement
The news this morning is dominated by the folly of Jeremy Hunt, the culture secretary. It appears that he has been doing naughties with his e-mail account. I'm not really interested in the finer details of what he has done but I do see a spiritual lesson here.
A short while ago a Christian radio station was attempting to put out an advert defending the Christian faith. Due to the climate of persecution against Christians that exists in this country, at present, this was opposed by Hunt on the grounds that the advert was "political". As a result of this evil man's intervention the case was won by opponents of the Gospel. However, God is not mocked. Hunt is now is trouble; or, to put it another way - the man is toast. (If he doesn't repent he will be toast in another way when he dies!)
The lesson of this whole episode is clear - if you come against God and His people then He will answer you. In the case of Saul of Tarsus God's answer was to convert him. However, in many other cases God's answer is to judge by taking revenge upon the wicked. We see this in many ways in the annals of history.
The Bible says, in Psalm 2 "Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing. The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against His annointed saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us" This is a clear reference to people rebelling against God but what is His answer? In verse 4 we read "He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord will have them in derision".
When people oppose the Lord and His people they think they will get away with it - but God will have the last laugh, and so will His people.
Jeremy Hunt may yet come to repent of his wickedness in opposing God, I hope so for his sake but, for the time being at least. he has been brought down by his own evil and vile intentions. As the Bible says "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" Hebrews 10 v 31
A short while ago a Christian radio station was attempting to put out an advert defending the Christian faith. Due to the climate of persecution against Christians that exists in this country, at present, this was opposed by Hunt on the grounds that the advert was "political". As a result of this evil man's intervention the case was won by opponents of the Gospel. However, God is not mocked. Hunt is now is trouble; or, to put it another way - the man is toast. (If he doesn't repent he will be toast in another way when he dies!)
The lesson of this whole episode is clear - if you come against God and His people then He will answer you. In the case of Saul of Tarsus God's answer was to convert him. However, in many other cases God's answer is to judge by taking revenge upon the wicked. We see this in many ways in the annals of history.
The Bible says, in Psalm 2 "Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing. The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against His annointed saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us" This is a clear reference to people rebelling against God but what is His answer? In verse 4 we read "He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord will have them in derision".
When people oppose the Lord and His people they think they will get away with it - but God will have the last laugh, and so will His people.
Jeremy Hunt may yet come to repent of his wickedness in opposing God, I hope so for his sake but, for the time being at least. he has been brought down by his own evil and vile intentions. As the Bible says "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" Hebrews 10 v 31
Thursday, 29 March 2012
£1,000 - the wages of sin?
No doubt many will remember the ridiculous court ruling last month that councils were not allowed to hold prayers. The govt. fast tracked a law through the House over-ruling this decision and councils can continue to pray (as they have done for many years).
The person responsible for taking this matter to court was one Clive Bone a former councillor in Bideford, Devon. This atheist (fool) objected to his "human rights " being breached when the council began meetings with prayer and, backed by the equally perverse National Secular Society, took his case to the courts and won his "victory".
Despite the matter now having been closed, by the govt.'s reversal of the legal declaration, it seems that militant secularists are still intent on playing silly games over the issue. This was highlighted by their decision to give £1,000 to Mr Bone as a "reward" for the evil perpetrated by him. He was photographed with a prominent atheist (fool) after the award was announced looking very pleased with himself.
I wonder how pleased he will be when he is in Hellfire? What price will £1,000 be when he is in indescribable torments, knowing that there will be no respite for all eternity? No doubt he would be glad to give back that £1,000 many times over for just one glass of cold water!
However, the good news of the Gospel is that even Mr Bone can receive God's mercy - if only he will come to his senses. If he truly repents of his wickedness and accepts Jesus as his personal Saviour then he will avoid the flames of an eternal Hell and enjoy the blessings of an eternal Heaven.
Sadly, though, very few atheists have the good sense to repent and turn to Christ. It seems that as they get older they become even more hardened to the Gospel. Just like clay left out in the sun becomes progressively harder, so these fools seem to become increasingly obnoxious the more they are exposed to Gospel truths.
The Bible says: "The fool hath said in his heart 'there is no God' ". (Psalm 14 v 1) - an apt description of Mr Bone and his ilk.
The person responsible for taking this matter to court was one Clive Bone a former councillor in Bideford, Devon. This atheist (fool) objected to his "human rights " being breached when the council began meetings with prayer and, backed by the equally perverse National Secular Society, took his case to the courts and won his "victory".
Despite the matter now having been closed, by the govt.'s reversal of the legal declaration, it seems that militant secularists are still intent on playing silly games over the issue. This was highlighted by their decision to give £1,000 to Mr Bone as a "reward" for the evil perpetrated by him. He was photographed with a prominent atheist (fool) after the award was announced looking very pleased with himself.
I wonder how pleased he will be when he is in Hellfire? What price will £1,000 be when he is in indescribable torments, knowing that there will be no respite for all eternity? No doubt he would be glad to give back that £1,000 many times over for just one glass of cold water!
However, the good news of the Gospel is that even Mr Bone can receive God's mercy - if only he will come to his senses. If he truly repents of his wickedness and accepts Jesus as his personal Saviour then he will avoid the flames of an eternal Hell and enjoy the blessings of an eternal Heaven.
Sadly, though, very few atheists have the good sense to repent and turn to Christ. It seems that as they get older they become even more hardened to the Gospel. Just like clay left out in the sun becomes progressively harder, so these fools seem to become increasingly obnoxious the more they are exposed to Gospel truths.
The Bible says: "The fool hath said in his heart 'there is no God' ". (Psalm 14 v 1) - an apt description of Mr Bone and his ilk.
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