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Category Archives: Evangelism

Ten Reasons To Not Ask Jesus Into Your Heart

By Todd Friel of Wretched Radio

The music weeps, the preacher pleads, “Give your heart to Jesus. You have a God shaped hole in your heart and only Jesus can fill it.” Dozens, hundreds or thousands of people who want to get their spiritual life on track make their way to the altar. They ask Jesus into their heart.
Cut to three months later. Nobody has seen our new convert in church. The follow up committee calls him and encourages him to attend a Bible study, but to no avail. We label him a backslider and get ready for the next outreach event.
Our beloved child lies in her snuggly warm bed and says, “Yes, Daddy. I want to ask Jesus into my heart.” You lead her in “the prayer” and hope that it sticks. You spend the next ten years questioning if she really, really meant it. Puberty hits and the answer reveals itself. She backslides. We spend the next ten years praying that she will come to her senses.
Telling someone to ask Jesus into their hearts has a very typical result, backsliding. The Bible says that a person who is soundly saved puts his hand to the plow Read More

Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones Video

This is a rare interview of David Martyn Lloyd-Jones (20 December 1899 – 1 March 1981) was a Welsh Protestant minister, preacher and medical doctor who was influential in the Reformed wing of the British evangelical movement in the 20th century.

For almost 30 years, he was the minister of Westminster Chapel in London. Read More

Open Air Preaching: Can I Get a Segway For Ray Comfort?

There are several people who have impacted my life in different ways. God has brought me to listen to very insightful teachings that have shaped me and are continually reforming my personal life in ways I probably cannot illustrate. One or two years ago I was searching for tracts online and I landed on a sermon that has always been an inspiration to me. Hell’s Best Secret by Ray Comfort is akin to Keith Green’s classic song Alseep in the Light-once you listen to them they continue to replay in your mind. They are evangelistic anthems so to speak. If you have ever listened to this sermon, you will agree with me it should be broadcast loud and clear, down every byway and highway, every church yard and barn yard needs to resound with this message. Maybe I should get him a Segway for open airpreaching…or well maybe standing on a good old salt box will just do all the same 😉 [The Transcript: Hell’s Best Kept Secret] Read More

Every Second Counts:Two Minute Evangelism Tip

Why isn’t the American Church Growing?

Excerpt from a message by Kevin Turner. You will realise he seems to center around a pertinent question that many are asking themselves these days – about the dismal state of things in evangelicalism today:

While the church is growing at a record rate in Africa and Asia, churches are stagnating in the United States.
“Revival is not when the top blows off but rather when the bottom falls out.” Those words were spoken to me several years ago when I asked the late Leonard Ravenhill to define revival. According to him, most religious activity in the United States does not resemble true revival. We know only a cheap imitation. We schedule popular speakers and the best musicians and set aside a week for special meetings. We call that revival. Our meetings are set up by organizers, not agonizers. We have reduced a move of God to a method. Yet the Bible says God is looking for a man.
John Knox, the founder of the Presbyterian Church, prayed continually, “God, give me Scotland or I die!” He said this while he was chained deep inside the hull of a French ship off the coast of his country. He prayed desperately for seven years that God would send revival to his beloved Scotland. God works only within those who are desperate. Ravenhill also used to say, in reference to revival, that we would either “end up with prison camps or with Pentecost in the prison camps.” The apostle Paul either had riots or revival, and at times both. Yet the American gospel does not seem to produce either. Read More

Black and Reformed: A Paradigm Shift

Is it true that the green shoots of recovery are sprouting and there is a gradually surging under current of hunger for Scripturally sound preaching with relentless intensity, indepth theological conviction and astute hermeneutic discipline? A couple of years ago Christianity Today noted that there was a growing resurgence towards Reformed Theology.  Reformed theology or Calvinism stresses that the initiative, sovereignty, and power of God is the only sure hope for the sinfulness, fickleness, and moral weakness of human beings—and the glory of God is the ultimate theme of preaching and focus of worship. But how proportional has this interest panned out among different ethnic communities? This in its self is just a glancing over view of the paradigm shift in the Black communities. Read More

SOME THINGS NON CALVINISTS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT CALVINISM

Excerpted from anarticle by Colin Maxwell

An attempt to clear up some of the misunderstandings about Calvinism. This is not meant to be a detailed doctrinal defense of Calvinism’s Doctrines Of Grace.

1) Calvinism and Hyper-Calvinism are poles apart. The terms are not to be used synonymously. A Hyper-Calvinist is not just a zealous Calvinist. We both consider each other to be “mongrel” Calvinists. No man will actually call himself a Hyper-Calvinist.

2) Yes Calvinists are split into several factions. But then so are many such doctrinal schools e.g. Dispensationalism, Church Government, Worship – do we sing only the Psalms or use hymns? Which hymns? Do we use music? Which music? Which set of texts do we base our Bible translation on? Is it the Textus Receptus that is important or the (KJV) AV? or both? etc.

3) The term free will needs to be defined to avoid confusion. Calvinists will either affirm it or deny it, depending on what they think you mean. This sometimes leads to charges of contradictions. Consult the standard Calvinist Confessions e.g. the Westminster Confession of Faith Chapter 9 for a defining of terms. But There’s More

The Doctrines of Grace

God has recently given us the opportunity to discuss some theological issues with other Christians who believe differently than we do on a number of points, most notably the doctrines of grace. [This post was adapted from Monergism] In such a circumstance, given the overwhelming supply of scriptural evidence that comes to bear on the topic, it seemed to me that the best approach would be a simple categorized scripture list: the fact that the entire paper would be scriptures, with the exception of a few brief explanatory notes, would underscore the truth that this is God’s own word and teaching; and the fact that it would be categorized would facilitate the ready comparison of scripture with scripture so as to lead one to a full-orbed understanding of the biblical teaching. Although I found a few good scripture lists of that nature available online, none of them was laid out in quite the progression that I was looking for, and so I developed my own. I’m posting it here with just the scripture references. Below, for your convenience I have provided a condensed version and a full version of the study. The study is also available in print from Monergism Books. Read More

Wrestling With God Till Day Break

I remember when I wrestled with the Spirit of God. I (yes teeny weenie me) in one corner and the Omnipotent, Transcendent and Almighty in the other. But who has never fought against God after hearing the gospel? Or was it a bout with myself -my old man so to speak? The gospel seems to go against the very grain of our humanity. It asserts that man is broken and helpless. It asserts that we are dead in sin and cannot of our selves change that nature. To underscore this very important fact God gave us the Ten Commandments as a moral code. Try as you may to obey one commandment and you break all. Break one and you find you easily break the rest. The easiest thing is to harden your heart and resist any demands of the Law. Read More

Who Prays For The Pastor's Wife?

In the heat of the battle the dirty sweat drenched and blood furrowed brow of the commander perks up as he peers at his scanty remnant. He has seen his men put up a fierce resistance. The devastating onslaught has been from all fronts. Menacingly sustained at times. The reserves are running low. The platoon is now surrounded. There is no time to reminisce or sleep. Fatigue and final consumption never felt so close. His muddied badge barely sticks to his bosom while a few pips are clearly missing from his right shoulder. Despite the haggard silhouette there is no mistaking the undiminished authority he still wields.  It will be at least a day or two until the 1st Calvary Division would arrive in the eastern skies –if only they would hold on for that long. However if all failed-the platoon had gone through this worst case scenario over and over; the last resort would be to die fighting than be taken in. Read More

Upclose:The Kirk Cameron Testimony

To many people, Kirk Thomas Cameron (born October 12, 1970) is the American actor best-known for his role as Mike Seaver on the television situation comedy Growing Pains (1985–1992), as well as several other television and film appearances as a child actor. In the 1980s and 1990s, Cameron appeared in dozens of television shows and in the films Like Father Like Son and Listen to Me.Cameron is also an active Christian evangelist, currently partnering with Ray Comfort in the evangelical ministry The Way of the Master. This is his testimony. More

Barna Survey: Most Pastors Are in A State of Theological Diarrhoea. Yikes!

After skimming through the usual pleasantries of the latest Barna Group report, I was dragged back by the minor ink smudged anecdotes. The new study from Barna Group explored whether the so-called “New Calvinism” has, as yet, affected the allegiances of pastors and whether Reformed churches are growing. Well I do not usually go by surveys as they have more often than not been the trojan horse of pragmatism. Most survey driven churches end up being purpose driven so as to make the end supposedly justify the means.

The Barna survey among pastors noted that: Read More

Even People On Boinga Boinga Island Know The 10 Commandments

On January 18, 2007, FUNAI reported that it had confirmed the presence of 67 uncontacted tribes in Brazil, up from 40 in 2005. With this reported increase, Brazil has surpassed the island of New Guinea as the region having the highest number of uncontacted tribes (however, numbers are not available for Papua New Guinea).

Recent focus shifted to a yet an undiscovered or un contacted tribe.  A tribe of people living deep in Brazil’s rain forest, who had never made contact with the outside world, or vice versa. Political correctness favors the term “isolated” rather than “uncontacted”, as few peoples have remained supposedly  un contacted by modern civilization. A number have chosen to make contact either exceedingly difficult or dangerous for those trying to reach them. Read More

Highest Church Braces For Restoration…And A Giddy Revival

Once in a while something interesting comes up in the news. This week an ancient building was the focus of attention. Listen to this:

This is the church where religious leaders really are preaching from on high – perched 130ft on top of a pillar of rock.

The tiny church sits precariously on top of the jagged cliff that has been eroded by weather over almost 14 centuries. It is believed that Pagans built the temple in the bizarre location as the pillar was thought to symbolise their god of fertility. But experts believe the building near the Georgian city of Chiatura was constructed on the mountain between the sixth and eight centuries.

Konstantin Murtkhveladze, 25, braved the perilous ascent up the pillar through a rusty ladder to take these pictures.

‘The old ladder on the side of the pillar looks like it could snap at any time’, he told the Daily Mirror. Konstantin, from Tbilisi in Georgia, added: ‘But once you get up there it sends a chill down your spine. It feels like a very special place.

‘You can see the church poking above the landscape from far away as you approach. It’s an unbelievable sight.’

It is not known how the pagans who built the temple carried the materials up the steep pillar without large cranes that are used today. ~ Daily Mail

Well I was just thinking, once this lovely building has been restored we could ask Benny Hinn to come and do a ‘holy ghost revival service’ in it. Only of course no blowing on people or knocking people over and -by all means no getting drunk in the spirit stuff! Read More

Free Hugs…No Gospel

Ray Comfort, Living Waters

I was with our team at Huntington Beach last Saturday when I noticed some teenagers with signs that said, “FREE HUGS.” It turns out that they were a Christian group sharing “God’s love” with strangers, by giving them a hug. I asked the leader if the kids shared the gospel with the strangers they hugged. They didn’t. It was “relationship evangelism.” Yes, they were going to Hell if they died in their sins, but they didn’t want to be pushy. I encouraged him to have his team at least give out tracts to those they hugged, but he was in a hurry Read More

The Law and The Gospel

One interesting writer I have come across, (of course I am always the last one to discover good writers) says:

“Men are not turning to Christ because they have no sense of sinning against the Lord. They are not convicted of sin because they don’t know what sin is. They have no concept of sin because the law of God is not being preached. You cannot improvise a hasty sop, ‘All men have sinned.’ You must dwell on the subject at length. Exposit the ten commandments until men are slain thereby [Romans 7:11]. When you see that men have been wounded by the law, then it is time to pour in the balm of Gospel oil. It is the sharp needle of the law that makes way for the scarlet thread of the Gospel.” ~Walter Chantry, Today’s Gospel Authentic or Synthetic Read More

Election: And The Best Laid Plans of Men and Mice…

The common adage usually goes ‘the best laid plans of men and mice often go awry.’ This short clip on the contrary is about God’s Sovereign plans and in particular his choosing and calling of a sinner to salvation. It is about unconditional election or sometimes called predestination or fore-ordination.

Make a comment

Asian Games:Bring on the Gospel To China

[pullquote]This is an archive article from 2010.[/pullquote] The second largest multi-sports event second to the Olympics happens to be the Asian Games. This year’s events will be held in China. Looking at a few snippets of the real-time security training tells you that the authorities will not be worried about people just handing out handing out gospel tracts.

simple anti-terrorism drills for chinese army

The Governor of Guangdong Province has demanded that no mistakes are made during the policing of the Asian Games and the police have pledged an ‘all-out effort’ to safeguard the event.

Reports suggest the Guangzhou police authority has already invested 2 billion yuan (£18.7 million) in security for the Games. More than 2.6 million surveillance cameras are also said to have been installed across the city. But There’s More

'Cured' Pastor Ted Haggard Now Has A Rethink About Marriage

Hardly a week goes by without Ted appearing on television. Hoping from endless talk show to talk show, he has also launched a reality television show about the gospel. No sorry about -you guessed right-himself. At every turn he seems to be drawing in the ratings for anyone who is willing to have a pandering prophet. Not only are non-Christians raising eyebrows at his antics. Why, wasn’t this the once a herculean stalwart for conservative Christian values? Now he has apparently back peddled on some of his original beliefs. This metamorphosis can best be described by Ted himself:

In a cover story for gay glossy The Advocate, Rev. Ted Haggard now says he favors gay marriage.

Haggard is the evangelical pastor who ran afoul of his Denver congregation after admitting to a three-year pay-for-sex affair with male prostitute Mike Jones. Immediately after Jones reveled their sexual association in 2006, Haggard denied being gay, saying only that he had committed “sexual immorality.” Since that time, Haggard has said he’s undergone intensive counseling. On February 6, 2007, Tim Ralph pronounced Haggard “cured,” adding that Haggard is “completely heterosexual.” Read More

Slips and Ellipsis Evangelism?

ellipsis

3 Dots of an Ellipsis

So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or …”–Matt 27:17 ESV

An ellipsis is a mark or series of marks that usually indicate an intentional omission of a word or a phrase from the original text. An ellipsis can also be used to indicate a pause in speech, an unfinished thought, or, at the end of a sentence, a trailing off into silence. An ellipsis calls for a slight pause in speech. But There’s More

Tazers for Ushers in Church

It’s been coming and soon it will be here. Crowd control has always been a nightmare since the days of the ‘brood of vipers’ open air sermons of John the Baptist to the modern day children’s trampoline tea and biscuit parties of a pastor’s wife. Many delighted mega church ushers seemed to jump for joy this week supposing they had landed themselves a useful gadget in ultimate crowd control but stopped mid air as police in the UK seized large numbers of a gadget that has been supposedly dubbed ‘the ushers touch’.

A MILLION-volt stun gun disguised as a mobile phone is being smuggled into Britain by criminals. Potentially-lethal K95s are 24 TIMES more powerful than a police Taser. But There’s More

Whimpy Whimpy Pastors!

When Paul spoke to the Ephesian elders in his final meeting with them, he said these words: “Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God.” (Acts 20:26-27) The true preacher of the Word seeks to have this as his ambition as well. God is not honored when men think so little of Him and so highly of themselves that they edit the content of the proclamation for the fear of the face of men and so that they may be considered “successful” in some worldly sense. Read More

Jonathan Edwards’ Unmailed Letter to a New Convert

My dear young friend,
As you desired me to send you, in writing, some directions how to conduct yourself in your Christian course, I would now answer your request. The sweet remembrance of the great things I have lately seen at your church, inclines me to do anything in my power, to contribute to the spiritual joy and prosperity of God’s people there. Read More

How To Get Upgraded To First Class And Witness To A Jonas Brother

As I sat in the van with the Living Waters team, I prayed that God would get the 12 of us to the Louisiana Transformed Conference safely, and that He would give us “divine encounters.” I wanted the cross paths with people He had well-prepared–similar to the well-prepared woman at the well, in John chapter four.
Two hours later I was sitting in the plane behind a gentleman to whom I had handed a Trillion Dollar Bill tract. He was still clutching it when an gentleman, this one with a cultured English accent, began to speak with him. I love English accents and had the thought that I would like to witness to him. Just then the flight attendant asked Mr. Clutcher if he wanted to move into First Class. He didn’t want to leave his business associates, so he turned to me and asked if I wanted the seat. Did I ever! Bet You cant Wait To Read

"They're Aware of Their Sin, Why Beat Them Up?"

Jim Bublitz takes no prisoners as he writes this blistering
but deeply insightful article- Full Link here

That sounds reasonable, doesn’t it? I mean, after all -who would honestly say that they’ve never sinned? Probably nobody. And since unbelievers already feel guilty enough over they’re past mistakes, then it goes without saying that we should spend the vast majority of our time preaching a positive message of Good News to them, rather than dwelling on the negatives. In this post, we’ll actually go inside of a prison and test-out this theory on convicted felons. If anybody ought to understand their own guilt and sinfulness, it would be real/live rapists, murders, and thieves, right?

Warning: Understanding the things in this video could challenge your entire view of ‘relevance’ in evangelism.

There’s More

Open Air Preaching: Can I Get a Segway For Ray Comfort?

There are several people who have impacted my life in different ways. God has brought me to listen to very insightful teachings that have shaped me and are continually reforming my personal life in ways I probably cannot illustrate. One or two years ago I was searching for tracts online and I landed on a sermon that has always been an inspiration to me. Hell’s Best Secret by Ray Comfort is akin to Keith Green’s classic song Alseep in the Light-once you listen to them they continue to replay in your mind. They are evangelistic anthems so to speak. If you have ever listened to this sermon, you will agree with me it should be broadcast loud and clear, down every byway and highway, every church yard and barn yard needs to resound with this message. Maybe I should get him a Segway for open airpreaching…or well maybe standing on a good old salt box will just do all the same 😉 [The Transcript: Hell’s Best Kept Secret] Read More

Every Second Counts:Two Minute Evangelism Tip

Wrestling With God Till Day Break

I remember when I wrestled with the Spirit of God. I (yes teeny weenie me) in one corner and the Omnipotent, Transcendent and Almighty in the other. But who has never fought against God after hearing the gospel? Or was it a bout with myself -my old man so to speak? The gospel seems to go against the very grain of our humanity. It asserts that man is broken and helpless. It asserts that we are dead in sin and cannot of our selves change that nature. To underscore this very important fact God gave us the Ten Commandments as a moral code. Try as you may to obey one commandment and you break all. Break one and you find you easily break the rest. The easiest thing is to harden your heart and resist any demands of the Law. Read More

Wiki Leaks May be Good for The church

Tough week as the weather regurgitated almost all the snow it had in its innards. And so did Wiki leaks threaten to unleash all the alleged secret thoughts and prejudices that the Washington administration forgot to mark as ‘classified’. It was reminiscent of goo-covered Jonah being spat from the belly of a fish -sea weed and all onto the shores of Nineveh. There is always that naked emptiness when our inner thoughts are laid bare and put to the scrutiny of a moral code. A feeling, ironically that, we have been wronged by the act itself however noble the intended purpose. Read More

Doctrine Divides: Lets Just Love one Another?

There are many who say why emphasize sound doctrine? Why dont we just lay our differences aside, get along together and just love one another? Well, sound doctrine will divide and rightly so. It will seperate unsound teaching from sound biblical teaching. If you love somebody who is imbibing unsound doctrine you will alert him, rebuke him and earnestly point him to what is right. Depraved indifference urges us to keep quiet as our fellow man un wittingly drifts to their ship wreck and destruction.  What would you do if you saw fellow Christians babbling in strange fires and delving in questionable practices? Read More

[Part 3] Hijab Wearing Lady Hears About Grace of God.

This is the third and final part of Kathy’s breath-taking testimony. [Read Part 1 and Part 2 ] Her journey from depravity to grace in Christ. Kathy had become a strict and chaste muslim. She was a good muslim and a good person to the best of her knowledge. Gone were the days of High school juvenile delinquency. Now as Islams’ poster child, speaking at conferences and at mosque openings everything seemed to be going right. Or was it? Read More

[Part2] Hijab Wearing Lady Hears About Grace of God

 

This is the continuation of Kathy’s testimony. Kathy grew up an all American girl and became a strict hijab wearing muslim.  She was asked to speak in conferences and mosque dedications. But choices she was about to make next would have far reaching consequences. The people she would meet were going to impact her life for better and for worse. But God draws people from all walks of life. Click here if you missed the first part of this testimony. Please Read On

Hijab Wearing Lady Hears About Grace of God

About a year ago I started blogging. I wrote mostly about things pertinent to my Christian walk. Things like disregard for sound Biblical doctrine, fads and gimmicks being used in church today. My discontentment stemmed from the fact that I seemed to be the biggest hypocrite. I had lived over 15 years of my Christian life  with little regard for doctrine. Or atleast cared less. Every Sunday I went back to church and we seemed to go through the same routine. This last one year has been an intensive boot camp journey that has seen me make new friends and change churches and discover not only the doctrines of grace but also become enthusiastic about sound biblical doctrine in my pursuit to know God more. But who can comprehend the mind of God?

Which brings me to my point today -God. Remember Saul setting out to look for his father’s lost donkeys one morning (1 Samuel 9)? He didn’t have the least inkling who he was going to meet that day. Neither did he know that a prophet was going to cross his path and tell him that he was the one God was going to anoint to be the first king of Israel. The Bible clearly tells us that this unfathomable God  is involved in the very  events around the mortal beings he created and He is knowable. God draws people to Himself through several mundane events. So we see He drew Saul to the right place and at the right time he met Samuel the prophet. Now, with this concept in mind that God is alive and He is involved in even the minutest of events around us, meet a good friend of mine called Kathy, a hijab wearing American (not any more though). This is her extra ordinary testimony. A gracious journey to repentance and faith in Christ: Now Read On

The Law and The Gospel

One interesting writer I have come across, (of course I am always the last one to discover good writers) says:

“Men are not turning to Christ because they have no sense of sinning against the Lord. They are not convicted of sin because they don’t know what sin is. They have no concept of sin because the law of God is not being preached. You cannot improvise a hasty sop, ‘All men have sinned.’ You must dwell on the subject at length. Exposit the ten commandments until men are slain thereby [Romans 7:11]. When you see that men have been wounded by the law, then it is time to pour in the balm of Gospel oil. It is the sharp needle of the law that makes way for the scarlet thread of the Gospel.” ~Walter Chantry, Today’s Gospel Authentic or Synthetic Read More

Tesco: Taking Over One Church At a Time. Now We can Worship at The Till.

Looking back through the recent past, Christianity has gone through roller coasters. The reformation brought us out of the darkness of Roman Catholicism and departure from Scripture.  The term Reformation is a historical term that goes back almost four centuries. It refers to a period when the church underwent a “reformation” as men of God attempted to return Christianity to the authority of Scripture. The desire of the Reformation was not to change God’s word but rather to bring the church back to the early Christian church. Led by men like Martin Luther, Ulrich Zwingli and John Calvin, John Knox and the others. The Reformation churches split off from the errors of the medieval Roman church and began what we know today as Protestantism. The Protestant churches were born out of the Reformation. Read More

Geoff Bullock Hillsong’s Prodigal Son: Grace Alone And Not Prosperity

It is said if you have sung a Hillsong tune, then you must have sung a Geoff Bullock song. Geoff Bullock (1955) is an Australian Christian singer-songwriter and pianist best known for his songs “The Power of Your Love”, “You Rescued Me”, “Jesus God’s Righteousness revealed” and “Love overcomes” among others. He was a founder of the Hillsong music team and the annual Hillsong conference. But now he says, “I have grown into someone completely different. I have learnt much, some by bitter experience, but, through all this, I have found a hope and peace that continually surprises me.” But There’s More

A REVIEW OF MARK CAHILL’S ‘CALVINISM AND THE BIBLE’

Mark Cahill

Mark Cahill recently went nuclear. Leaving behind him a mushroom cloud of raised eyebrows and a hushed silence. His article  decrying  The Doctrines of Grace titled Calvinism and the Bible has been a cause of concern in many evangelical circles. Colin Maxwell graciously put together this wholesome rebuttal as a gentle answer.

Mr Cahill seems to err in a number of main areas, as documented below:

1) Where he is obviously ignorant about what Calvinism teaches e.g. he seems to be unaware that Calvinism believes that man has a will that chooses and is responsible for its actions.

2) Where he attributes things to Calvinism which it does not hold. e.g. that the call to repent in Matthew 4:17 is addressed only to the elect.

3) In his salvic application of his disagreements – if Calvinism is Galatians 1 ground (as he claims at the end of his article) then he has just damned in hell many of the greatest Christians who ever lived, including many of the translators of the KJV, Spurgeon, Whitefield, Jonathan Edwards etc., As I point out, if he is wrong (the “if” of argument, not of doubt) then he damns more people than Calvinism was ever supposed to do. (Although Calvinism only damns those who will not believe and no one else.) There’s More

Behind the Scenes: The Making of An Apostate

 

No one sets out to become an apostate – it’s never the result of one abrupt, drastic turn away from the Lord. Instead, apostasy is most often the product of a pattern of sinful compromises that harden and gradually steer a professing believer away from the truth. There’s More

PREDESTINATION: GOD HAS A PLAN

Red to Blue. Now I wonder what will happen next?

It is unthinkable that a God of infinite wisdom and power would create a world without a definite plan for that world. And because God is thus infinite His plan must extend to every detail of the world’s existence. If we could see the world in all its relations, past, present, and future, we would see that it is following a predetermined course with exact precision. Among created things we may search where we will, as far as the microscope and the telescope will enable the eye to see, we find organization everywhere. Large forms resolve themselves into parts, and these parts in their turn are but organized of other parts down as far as we can see into infinity. There’s More

SOME THINGS NON CALVINISTS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT CALVINISM

By Colin Maxwell

An attempt to clear up some of the misunderstandings about Calvinism. This is not meant to be a detailed doctrinal defense of Calvinism’s Doctrines Of Grace.

1) Calvinism and Hyper-Calvinism are poles apart. The terms are not to be used synonymously. A Hyper-Calvinist is not just a zealous Calvinist. We both consider each other to be “mongrel” Calvinists. No man will actually call himself a Hyper-Calvinist.

2) Yes Calvinists are split into several factions. But then so are many such doctrinal schools e.g. Dispensationalism, Church Government, Worship – do we sing only the Psalms or use hymns? Which hymns? Do we use music? Which music? Which set of texts do we base our Bible translation on? Is it the Textus Receptus that is important or the (KJV) AV? or both? etc.

3) The term free will needs to be defined to avoid confusion. Calvinists will either affirm it or deny it, depending on what they think you mean. This sometimes leads to charges of contradictions. Consult the standard Calvinist Confessions e.g. the Westminster Confession of Faith Chapter 9 for a defining of terms. But There’s More

Islam: In the Crucible of Christian Britain

In the wake of 11th September 2001 and 7th July 2005 terror events in the US and Great Britain respectively, there has been a rise in the number of Islamic “rationalists” who are building a case for Muslim societies to change from within, and for Muslim minorities in western countries to change how they think of themselves in relation to wider society. The intellectual arm of Islam has tried to quell the flames started by the fundamentalist Islam by depicting Islam as “the religion of peace”.

But There’s More

What to Look for in a Good Church

cool, well toned and relevant pastors

One of the most important questions for a Christian after where will I spend eternity and whom shall I marry is what church shall I attend? Well of course if you just need a joint where to spend Sunday morning ‘s hang over then you may as well a steer away from this site. Steer far away.
I was recently asked by a friend how to choose a good church. To be honest it is a head ache. Possibly a migraine of a decision. With the plethora of churches on the high street these days one needs a lot of prayerful patience. You probably won’t find a perfect church but a good solid Biblical church with sound doctrine is indeed a God send. There’s More

The Dangers, Results, and History of Decisional Regeneration

The early years of my Christian walk were blighted by several unanswered questions and countless doctrinal errors. After coming a cross the Doctrines of Grace I was encouraged to know that my salvation had nothing to do with me. God alone chose to save me not because I was good enough. Not because I was more deserving than the next person. God was gracious to me and brought me to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. Watch this clip and leave a comment:

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We Still Want Our Goat!

Ever reached late for a fancy dress party and upon arrival in your frilly loin cloth and ‘Jonah’ T-shirt some one whispers to you, “Didn’t you get the last minute memo this morning that it would be a black tie and suit evening party?” That is when it really hits you square in the face. What was I even thinking  to get into a loin cloth?  I must be a naive goat. That is one of the first hiccup steps to   maturity from juvenile delinquency. Read More

Just Despicable Me!

Oh no you didn't!

Ngombe mjinga hupeleka ndama karibu ya barabara. Tongues? No its Swahili. It basically says that a stupid or despicable cow leads her calf near the road. This is an african proverb  loosely built on the first Psalm that says that, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor sits in the seat of scoffers but his delight is in the Law of the lord.” There’s been lots of deaths recently. History is punctuated by stories of legends and village idiots alike who have done truly selfless altruistic feats. In the same breath history inks the chronicles of people who died and in their death caused untold devastation and merciless deaths of many others.

One gentle man (if I can call him that) Samson in the Bible used a broken donkey jaw bone in his prime as a weapon of mass destruction. He rearranged a few skulls, made a few others visit their dentists and matched out of the battle field whistling in time for dinner -without even raffling his well greased hair. So says the revised Suday school version of the events. Read More

When Will God Visit Us Again?

I have had my fair share of fads in Christendom. Like a wild eyed tornado chaser I have trudged and raced against the waves and later lapped up every breeze like a lazy dog sticking its tongue out of the window of a car into the  rushing country side winds. Revival however has been the most elusive of all fads. Ask any Christian today what revival is and you will get a myriad of answers. Ranging from revival being a warm fuzzy sensation (revival fire) that triggers a chilling convulsion of goose bumps (revival rain), a force that swings you from the chandeliers and throws you across the room till you fall down flat on your face motionless. But There’s More

World Cup Evangelism: God Bless North Korea

Brazil Vs North Korea

June 2010 brought in a whirl wind of mixed fortunes, after a financially depressing global recession, a catastrophic earth quake in Haiti and a sea-sickening multi billion oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico there was bound to be something to bring a smile to Earthlings. With all roads converging for soccer to the southern tip of a continent that is the second-largest of the Earth’s seven continents – covering about 30,330,000 sq km (11,699,000 sq mi), which makes up about 22 per cent of the world’s total land area. Africa has more countries than any other continent and South Africa the host of the FIFA World Cup is said to be the only country with three official capitals: Pretoria, Cape Town, and Bloemfontein.

As the rest of the world sits in the comfort of their living rooms from across the globe screaming at their 3-D, High Definition and in some cases make shift black and white analogue television sets, a small adventurous group of Christians from Brazil had packed their rucksacks heading to the footballing village. Their target for quite a while  had been a very specific group: North Koreans. But There’s More

Fishing: The One That Got Away.

Fish aren’t biting. The water is cold and doesn’t heat up because the sun is low and the rays bounce off the water. Fish have moved to deeper waters to cool off. But Johnny the angler won’t go home yet, because winter is over and fish must be hungry and spawning. He sinks the bait once again. The pleasure is in the predatory pursuit of bait fishing he whispers to himself. The method of bait fishing offers both simplicity and effectiveness for anglers. It is simple in that one only has to bait up a hook and throw the line in the water, and it is effective because the presence of live bait is a temptation that hardly any fish can resist!

Casting his line, Johnny seats back and waits. He can secure the line and puff on his cigar or drift into blissful oblivion in the mean time. The trap is set. Waiting patiently till a gentle tug makes the bobber jolt. When Jesus said, “Come I will make you fishers of men”. I wonder if he had this type of smart fishing in mind. Did he know how easy proselytizing could be modified to accommodate the least possible purposeful risk? But There’s More

Who Prays For The Pastor’s Wife?

In the heat of the battle the dirty sweat drenched and blood furrowed brow of the commander perks up as he peers at his scanty remnant. He has seen his men put up a fierce resistance. The devastating onslaught has been from all fronts. Menacingly sustained at times. The reserves are running low. The platoon is now surrounded. There is no time to reminisce or sleep. Fatigue and final consumption never felt so close. His muddied badge barely sticks to his bosom while a few pips are clearly missing from his right shoulder. Despite the haggard silhouette there is no mistaking the undiminished authority he still wields.  It will be at least a day or two until the 1st Calvary Division would arrive in the eastern skies –if only they would hold on for that long. However if all failed-the platoon had gone through this worst case scenario over and over; the last resort would be to die fighting than be taken in. Read More

Free Hugs…No Gospel

Ray Comfort, Living Waters

I was with our team at Huntington Beach last Saturday when I noticed some teenagers with signs that said, “FREE HUGS.” It turns out that they were a Christian group sharing “God’s love” with strangers, by giving them a hug. I asked the leader if the kids shared the gospel with the strangers they hugged. They didn’t. It was “relationship evangelism.” Yes, they were going to Hell if they died in their sins, but they didn’t want to be pushy. I encouraged him to have his team at least give out tracts to those they hugged, but he was in a hurry Read More

Tribal priest comes to Christ, frees sex slaves

ECM04-08-10.jpgMission Network News. Full Story Here.

The Thunder god priest who has come to Christ in Ghana, liberating 55 slave women and children.

Ghana (MNN) ― Sex slavery is rampant among tribal religions in Ghana. In a system commonly referred to as Trokosi, girls are given to tribal priests as payment for sins. “Trokosi” means wives or slaves of the gods.

Every Child Ministries is rescuing these women and their children who were born into this environment. ECM co-founder Lorella Rouster says ritual servitude, or shrine slavery, is common.

Recently, Every Child Ministries liberated 55 slaves of the “Thunder god.”

Rouster says it was Read more of this post

Lottery Winners and What Happened Next

Not every day will you come across a man who has escaped from a derailed train, a door-less plane, a buscrash, a car flame ball, and two car accidents then gone a head to win a $ 1million lottery. Not every day will some body win a $ 315 million lottery payout. So what happens next after the winners disappear into the shadows of rockstardom? Do they still have problems and fears? Do they ever contemplate the life of mere mortals or does immortality intoxicate their dreams? There’s More

Shy As Charles H. Spurgeon.

1834 – 1892

Adapted From Interesting Facts About Spurgeon’s Ministry And Life.

One woman was converted through reading a single page of one of Spurgeon’s sermons wrapped around some butter she had bought.

Testing the acoustics in the vast Agricultural Hall, Spurgeon shouted, “Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.” A worker high in the rafters of the building heard this and became converted to Christ as a result.

Spurgeon read The Pilgrim’s Progress at age 6 and went on to read it over 100 times. Read More

Crime Scene:Please Cross at Will

The Zodiac killer was a serial killer who operated in Northern California in the late 1960s. His identity still remains unknown to this day. The eccentric personality coined his name in a series of taunting letters he sent to the press. His letters included four cryptograms (or ciphers), three of which have yet to be solved. Through a series of cryptic letters he sent to the press and others, he disclosed the insanity which motivated the killings, offered clues to future murder plots and adopted the name Zodiac.

The Zodiac is known to have taken responsibility for murdering as many as 37 people, but police investigators confirmed that seven people were attacked by the Zodiac of which five died. Ironically he included information in his cryptograms and letters which proved he was present during the murders and a message that his identity was hidden inside the ciphers.

The expression “total depravity” describes the condition of man as he is now in sin, as a result of the “fall” in Adam. It does not mean that every man is as evil as he possibly could be. It does not mean that man like the Zodiac is incapable of things considered good and noble from a human viewpoint. No! Basically it means that sin has affected every aspect of a man’s being. Read More

The Deeps

Lord Jesus, give me a deeper repentance, a horror of sin, a dread of its approach. Help me chastely to flee it and jealously to resolve that my heart shall be Thine alone.

Quarry me Deep, Oh God

Give me a deeper trust, that I may lose myself to find myself in Thee, the ground of my rest, the spring of my being. Give me a deeper knowledge of Thyself as saviour, master, lord, and king. Give me deeper power in private prayer, more sweetness in Thy Word, more steadfast grip on its truth. Give me deeper holiness Read More

Slips and Ellipsis Evangelism?

ellipsis

3 Dots of an Ellipsis

So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or …”–Matt 27:17 ESV

An ellipsis is a mark or series of marks that usually indicate an intentional omission of a word or a phrase from the original text. An ellipsis can also be used to indicate a pause in speech, an unfinished thought, or, at the end of a sentence, a trailing off into silence. An ellipsis calls for a slight pause in speech. But There’s More