you’re sitting there trembling after ten minutes, I say, "By the way, here’s the cure" You grab it and gulp it down. Your knowledge of the disease and its horrific consequence has made you desire the cure.
You see, before I was a Christian, I had as much desire for righteousness as a four-year-old boy has for the word "bath." What's the point? See, Jesus said, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness." How many non-Christians do you know who are hungering and thirsting after righteousness? The Bible says, "There is none who seek after God" (Rom. 3:11). It says they love the darkness, they hate the light; neither will they come to the light least there deeds be exposed (John 3:19–20). The only thing they drink in is iniquity like water (Job 15:16). But the night I was confronted with the spiritual nature of God’s law and understood that God requires truth in the inward parts (Ps. 51:6), that He saw my thought-life and considered lust to be the same as adultery, hatred the same as murder, I began to say, "I can see I’m condemned. What must I do to be made right?" I began to thirst for righteousness. The law put salt on my tongue. It was a schoolmaster to bring me to Christ.
Charles Spurgeon said, "They will never accept grace until they tremble before a just and holy law." D.L. Moody, John Bunyan, John Newton, who wrote "Amazing Grace" (and if anyone had a grip on grace it was Newton), he said that "the correct understanding of the harmony between law and grace is to preserve oneself from being entangled by errors on the right hand and on the left." And Charles Finney said, "Evermore the law must prepare the way for the gospel." He said, "To overlook this in instructing souls is almost certain to result in false hope, the introduction of a false standard of Christian experience, and to fill the church with false converts."
Saints, the first thing David Wilkerson said to me when he called me on his car phone was, "I thought I was the only one who didn't believe in follow-up." Now, I believe in feeding a new convert; I believe in nurturing him. I believe in discipling him—biblical and most necessary. But I don't believe in following him. I can’t find it in Scripture. The Ethiopian eunuch was left without follow-up. How could he survive? All he had was God and the Scriptures. You see, follow-up...now let me explain follow-up for those of you who don't know. Follow-up is when we get decisions, either through crusades or local church, and we take labourers from the harvest field, who are few as it is, and give them this disheartening task of running after these decisions to make sure they’re going on with God. What it is is a sad admission of the amount of confidence we have in the power of our message and in the keeping power of God. If God has saved them, God will keep them. If they’re born of God, they'll never die. If He's begun a good work in them, He’ll complete it to that day (Philip. 1:6); if He's the author of their faith, He’ll be the finisher of their faith (Heb. 12:2). He’s able to save to the uttermost them that come to God by Him (Heb. 7:25). He’s able to keep them from falling and present them faultless before the presence and glory with exceeding joy (Jude 24). Jesus said, "No one will pluck you from my father’s hand" (John 10:29).
You see, saints, the problem is that Lazarus is four days dead (John 11). We can run in the tomb, we can pull him out, we can prop him up, we can open his eyes, but "he stinketh" (vs. 39). He needs to hear the voice of the Son of God. And the sinner is four days dead in his sins. We can run up and say, "Say this prayer." Still, he needs to hear the voice of the Son of God, or there is no life in him; and the thing that primes the sinner’s ear to hear the voice of the Son of God is the law. It's a schoolmaster to bring him to Christ that he might be justified through faith (Gal. 3:24).
Saints, the law works; it converts the soul (Ps. 19:7). It makes the person a new creature in Christ. That old things pass away; behold, all things are become new (2Cor. 5:17). So find yourself a sinner, and experiment on him. But as you do so, remember this one anecdote.
You’re sitting on a plane, sipping you’re coffee, biting a cookie, and watching a movie. It’s a good flight, very pleasurable, when suddenly you hear, This is your captain speaking. I have an announcement to make. As the tail section has just fallen off of this plane, we’re about to crash. There’s a 25,000 foot drop. There’s a parachute under your seat; we’d appreciate it if you’d put it on. Thank you for your attention, and thank you for flying with this airline."[/i] You say, What!? 25,000 feet!? Man, am I glad to be wearing this parachute!"[/i] You look next to you; the guy next to you is biting his cookie, sipping his coffee, and watching the movie. You say, Excuse me, did you hear the captain? Put the parachute on."[/i] He turns to you and says, Oh, I really don’t think the captain means it. Besides, I’m quite happy as I am, thanks."[/i] Don't turn to him in sincere zeal and say, Oh, please, put the parachute on. It will be better than the movie."[/i] Now, that doesn't make sense. If you tell him that somehow the parachute will improve his flight, he's going to put it on for a wrong motive. If you want him to put it on and keep it on, tell him about the jump. You say, Excuse me, ignore the captain if you wish. Jump without a parachute...SPLAT!"[/i] He says, I’m sorry; I beg your pardon."[/i] I said, if you jump without a parachute, law of gravity. ‘Ppppbbbbtttt’ on the ground."[/i] Ah! Goodness me! I see what you’re saying! Thank you very much!"[/i] And as long as that man has knowledge he has to pass through the door and face the consequences of breaking the law of gravity, there’s no way you’re going to get that parachute off his back, because his very life depends on it.
Now, if you look around you, you’ll find there are plenty of passengers enjoying the flight. They’re enjoying the pleasures of sin for a season. Go up and say, Excuse me. Did you hear the command from our Captain about salvation, ‘Put on the Lord Jesus Christ.’!"[/i] He turns to you and says, “Oh, I really don’t think God means it. God is ... (To be continued)
love. Besides, I’m quite happy as I am, thanks.” Don’t turn to him in sincere zeal without knowledge and say, “Please, put on the Lord Jesus Christ. He’ll give you love, joy, peace, fulfillment, and lasting happiness. You’ve got a God-shaped vacuum in your heart only God can fill. If you have a marriage problem, drug problem, alcohol problem, just give your heart to Jesus.” No. You’ll give him the wrong motive for his commitment. Instead say, “Oh, God, give me courage!” and tell him about the jump. Just say, “Hey, it’s appointed to man once to die. If you die in your sins, God will be forced to give you justice, and His judgment is going to be so thorough. Every idle word a man speaks he’ll give account thereof on the day of judgment; if you’ve lusted, you’ve committed adultery. If you’ve hated someone, you’ve committed murder. And Jesus warned that justice will be so thorough, the fist of eternal wrath will come upon you and [SMACK] grind you to powder. God bless.” Now saints, I’m not talking about hell-fire preaching. Hell-fire preaching will produce fear-filled converts. Using God’s law will produce tear-filled converts. This one comes because why? He wants to escape the fires of hell. But in his heart, he thinks God is harsh and unjust, because the law hasn't been used to show him the exceeding sinful nature of sin. He doesn't see hell as being his just desert, that he deserves hell. Therefore, he doesn’t understand mercy or grace; and, therefore, he lacks gratitude to God for His mercy. And gratitude is the prime motivation for evangelism. There’ll be no zeal in the heart of a false convert to evangelize. But this one comes knowing he has sinned against heaven. That God’s eye is in every place beholding the evil and the good and God has seen darkness, as though it were pure light. He’s seen his thought life. If God in His holiness on the day of wrath made manifest all the secret sins of his heart, all the deeds done in darkness, if he made manifest all the evidence of his guilt, God could pick him up as an unclean thing and cast him into hell and do that which is just. But instead of giving him justice, he’s given him mercy. He’s commended his love toward him in that while he’s yet a sinner Christ died for him. He falls on his knees before that blood-stained cross, and he says, “Oh, God, if You do that for me, I’ll do anything for You. I delight to do Your will, oh, my God. Your law is written upon my heart.” And like the man who knew he had to pass through the door and face the consequences of breaking the law of gravity and would never take his parachute off because his very life depended on it, so he who comes to the Saviour, knowing he has to face a holy God on the day of wrath, would never forsake the righteousness of God in Christ because His very life depends on it.
Let me see if I can coagulate this teaching as we draw it to a close. I was in a store some time ago, and the owner of the store was serving a customer and using God’s name in blasphemy. Now, if somebody used my wife’s name in blasphemy, I would be extremely offended if they used her name as a curse word in that sense. But this guy was using God’s name as a curse word, when God had given him life, his eyes, the ability to think, his children, his food; every pleasure he’s ever had was given to him by the goodness of God, and he’s using God’s name as a curse word. Indignantly, between him and his customer, I leaned and said, “Excuse me. Is this a religious meeting?” The guy says, “What? H-E-L-L no!” “Yes it is, because now you’re talking about hell. Let me get you one of my books.” So I went out to my car and got a book that I’ve written called God Doesn’t Believe in Atheists: Proof the Atheist Doesn't Exist. And it’s a book which uses logic, humour, reason, and rationalism to prove the existence of God, which you can do in two minutes without the use of faith. It’s a very simple thing to conclusively, absolutely prove God’s existence; and it proves also that the atheist doesn't exist. In fact, let me show you our bumper sticker. “National Atheist’s Day: April 1.” So I gave him this book, and two months later I went in and gave him another book I've written called My Friends Are Dying! A book which is a true and gripping story about the ministering of the gospel in the most murderous portion of Los Angeles; a book which also uses humour in its presentation. I gave him those books and he called me and told me what had happened. He told me his wife kept giving him filthy looks, because there he was reading a book called My Friends Are Dying! and laughing every two minutes. But he was cleaning out his room and he picked up God Doesn't Believe in Atheists. He said, “Ah,” and he opened it up and read the first page and then he read the whole book, 260 pages. He said, “It was weird because I hate reading.” Then he read My Friends Are Dying!, gave his life to Christ, bought himself a Bible, came around to say, “Hi,” and told me after two days of being a Christian, in his Bible he was already up to what he called the book of “Lev-ih-tiekus.” And I guess he was going to read “Palms” and then John. But up until his commitment, the man was a practicing witch. “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.”
And it’s as though God looked down upon me, as for many years I open-air preached, and as I fought off the enemy with the feather duster of modern evangelism, it’s as though God said, “What are you doing? My weapons are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds (2Cor. 10:4). Here are ten great cannons.” And as I lined up the ten cannons of God’s law, no longer did sinners scoff and mock. No, their faces went pale; they lifted their hands and said, “I surrender all! All to Jesus I freely give!” They came across to the winning side never to become deserters. Such converts become soul winners, not pew warmers, labourers, not layabouts, assets, not liabilities for the local church.
And now saints, with every head raised and every eye open, and no music playing, let me challenge you as to the validity of your salvation. Modern evangelism says, “Never question your salvation.” The Bible says the exact opposite. It says, “Examine yourself and see if you’re in the faith” (2Cor. 13:5). Better now than on the day of judgment. The Bible says “make your calling and election sure” (2Pet. 1:10), and some of you know that something is radically wrong in your Christian walk. You lose your peace and joy when the flight gets bumpy. There is a lack of zeal to evangelize. You never fell on your face before Almighty God and said, “I’ve sinned against You, oh God! Have mercy upon me!” You’ve never fled to Jesus Christ and His blood for cleansing, in desperation crying out, “God be merciful to me a sinner!” And there’s a lack of gratitude; there’s not a burning zeal for the lost. You can’t say you’re on fire for God; in fact, you’re in danger of being one of the ones that are called “lukewarm” and will be spewed out of the mouth of Christ on the day of judgment (Rev. 3:16) when multitudes will cry out to Jesus, “Lord, Lord.” And he’ll say, “Depart form me you worker of iniquity—lawlessness: I never knew you” (Mat. 7:22–23). No regard to the divine law. The Bible says, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity”—lawlessness (2Tim. 2:19). So today you need to readjust the motive for your commitment. Friend, don’t let your pride stop you. I would like to pray for you: I’ll remain up here, you remain in your seat. And if you’d like to be included in this prayer, I’d like for you to slip up your hand, but remember this. If you say, “Well, I should put my hand up but what will people think?” that’s pride. You prefer the praises of men to the praises of God (John 12:43). Everyone who is proud of heart is an abomination to the Lord (Prov. 16:5). God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. So humble yourself before the mighty hand of God; He’ll exalt you in due time (1Pet. 5:5–6). Call it a recommittal; call it a committal. But whatever you call it, make your calling and election sure. .
The second video in the "Way of the Master Basic Training Course," an eight-week Christian evangelism curriculum hosted by actor Kirk Cameron and author Ray Comfort. Their Web site is at http://www.wayofthemaster.com/
Why do 80-90% of those making a "decision for Christ" fall away from the faith? What is the principle that Spurgeon, Wesley, Whitefield, Jesus, the apostles, and prophets used to reach the lost? Why have the Church neglected it? Don't let anything stop you from watching this incredible teaching.
It is my intention to scare the hell out of you. Be honest and admit that you are scared when you hear about death and hell? This phobia makes folks become atheists thinking that they can blot this reality out of their conscience. The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.
It is my intention to scare the hell out of you. Be honest and admit that you are scared when you hear about death and hell? This phobia makes folks become atheists thinking that they can blot this reality out of their conscience. The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.
Oh ! You are using fear , perfect evidence that you aint from God .
" God is Love" 1 John 4:8
" There is no Fear in Love , but perfect love casts fear out , because fear restrains us . Indeed , the one who is fearful has not been made perfect in Love" _ 1 john 4:18
Oh ! You are using fear , perfect evidence that you aint from God .
" God is Love" 1 John 4:8
" There is no Fear in Love , but perfect love casts fear out , because fear restrains us . Indeed , the one who is fearful has not been made perfect in Love" _ 1 john 4:18
You need to read the Bible to broaden your horizon. Jesus said who you should fear:
"And fear not them who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matthew 10:28).
You need to read the Bible to broaden your horizon. Jesus said who you should fear:
"And fear not them who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matthew 10:28).
O ga o , but the verse said we should fear him [God] not fear hell .
I can't believe after reading through all these, someone can still find time to argue. Now is time for sober reflection. Our pastors are seriously lacking, and our churches are filled with false converts. No wonder they can go to church on sunday, but come on NL to bash the same God they supposely went to worship. No true conviction. Oh, God, My Friends are Dying.
Thank you very much Ola. For whatever reason, I woke up this morning not feeling really Up, but God brought this message to me. Am so happy I read this. Pls if u can, send me a PDF to me analicendum@gmail.com I'll use it for my broadcast evengelism. Thank you.
I can't believe after reading through all these, someone can still find time to argue. Now is time for sober reflection. Our pastors are seriously lacking, and our churches are filled with false converts. No wonder they can go to church on sunday, but come on NL to bash the same God they supposely went to worship. No true conviction. Oh, God, My Friends are Dying.
Don't mind the nay and gain sayers, I don't believe they've actually read it. They are just looking for an occasion to rubbish the truth for reason best known them. The OP is truly an eye opener.
Thank you very much Ola. For whatever reason, I woke up this morning not feeling really Up, but God brought this message to me. Am so happy I read this. Pls if u can, send me a PDF to me analicendum@gmail.com I'll use it for my broadcast evengelism. Thank you.
To God be the glory. See the pdf on the OP and remain blessed.
Why do 80-90% of those making a decision for Christ eventually fall away from the faith? What message were they given that made it so likely that they would fall away from God. And what message should we be giving people?
