My family and I just got back from Columbia, SC. a few hours ago. We attended the Way of The Master Transformed Conference at Trinity Baptist Church. Ray Comfort, Kirk Cameron, Todd Friel, and Emeal Zwayne were the speakers. They all did a great job. (Todd's message was great!)
I'm too tired to really go into much detail right now, so if you ever hear of them having a conference near you -try to attend.
The price is always right: FREE!!
"God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life!"
That's the message of modern Christianity, but is it the message of the Bible?
In the sobering video below, this question is discussed by Mark Kielar of CrossTV:
Today was the annual "Bloomin' Festival" in Metter, GA.
Thousands of people from all over Georgia (and elsewhere) converged on our small country town to walk the streets, look at crafts, and see the other sights. In the middle of that crowd was myself and 6 people from our Way of The Master Basic Training Course. We passed out hundreds of tracts and talked with dozens of people.
Though I have been the leader of the training course -and have been trying act like the Metter First Baptist evangelism guru- I think was probably just as scared as anyone of my "students" who went out there today. Even Ray Comfort -a real witnessing guru- said he has to fight back fear every time he hits the streets to witness or open air preach. He said he goes out dragging his feet and returns kicking up his heels. That has always been my experience too!
The reaction was mixed. Some people refused our tracts, while others took them with a smile. A few people wanted to talk, but many didn't... We didn't get any "decisions for Christ" on the street today, but we did sew LOTS of seed. And that is what's important --in light of the fact we can only "sew" and "water", but it is God who gives the increase anyway!
One thing I found quite interesting is how the people who "looked the meanest," -or looked the most likely to beat me up-- were more receptive to the message than the old men sitting on the park benches who looked like they wouldn't harm a fly! I was really surprised at how hard hearted some of the older people were, while the younger folks would listen and not put up an argument at all!
Even in our rural Georgia town I was able to witness to a young lady who was born in Africa and said she was a Hindu! She seemed to be moved (almost to tears) by the fact that she had offended a thrice Holy God and that Jesus Christ was the only hope of escaping eternal damnation.
Things got easier once we got out and got into it for a while. Time passed quickly and by the end of the "fishing trip" I was actually looking for people who looked like they would beat me up!
All in all it was a great day! Please pray that God will do a mighty work in the hearts of the people we witnessed to today.
In closing, I want to leave you with some encouragement from Charles Spurgeon:
"Save some, O Christians! By all means, save some. From yonder flames and outer darkness, and weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth, seek to save some! Let this, as in the case of the apostle, be your great, ruling object in life, that by all means you might save some!"
Please click the banner above and check out the Way of The Master Transformed Conference that will be held in Americus, GA on April 14, 2007. This ought to be a great event and the price is right: FREE!
In this article I will try to illustrate something that I believe is a common mistake within churches today. Though my story is fiction, it is based on observations I have made and situations I have seen. In setting this up, I need you to use your imagination for a few minutes and let me take you to a imaginary town in the "Bible Belt" of the Southeastern United States. In our small imaginary town there are two churches. One is called the Antinomian* Fellowship Church and the other is called the Arminian* Fellowhip Church.
On a certain Sunday, each of the churches had wonderful services. The two pastors delivered glossy sermons on how God loves sinners and has a wonderful plan for their lives. The preachers make clear that this offer is for all who will simply believe in Jesus Christ. In each of the services, as the invitation is given, a young man approaches the front and prays the "Sinner's Prayer".
Needless to say, both of these churches are happy to have a new convert and within weeks each new convert is baptized and becomes a member of their respective churches. Both the Arminian Fellowship and the Antinomian Fellowship do all they can to nuture and instruct their new converts. All seems to be going well at first. The two converts attend their respective church services regularly, begin paying tithes, and are very helpful around the church. However, after a while, some things start to change! The two stop attending church, stop fellowshiping with other believers, and before long they are both living in outright sin! The two young men eventually renounce Christ and claim their time as Christians was "just a phase" they went through!
When the pastor of the Antinomian Fellowship Church is asked by his members about what became of the convert that left the church, he reassures them that the young man is still saved and on his way to Heaven because God remains faithful to His promises even when man does not. When the pastor of the Arminian Fellowship Church is asked the same questions about the young man who left their church, he warns the church members that the young man has probably lost his salvation and needs to repent and return to the fold if he is to ever expect to make Heaven his home.
Now back to reality for a few minutes... This scenario is not uncommon in todays church world. However, the question must be asked: Which of the pastors in the story above is correct? Did the one fellow from the Arminian Church backslide, renounce Christ, and lose his salvation? Is the other fellow from the Antinomian Church still saved in spite of his backsliding and renouncing of Christ? Obviously both pastors cannot be correct! It is not an option to accept such contradiction. What if there's something both the pastors in my story fail to understand?
I propose that both the Arminian view and the Antinomian view do not take in account one very vital thing: False Conversion! What the pastors in my story miss is this: Every person who "walks the isle" and prays the "sinner's prayer" may NOT actually be Born Again! Sometimes there are false conversions. Often these false conversions are wrought of the flesh and by the manipulation of silver tongued preachers, and not by the power of the Holy Spirit! There is no change of heart (or Regeneration) in the sinner and therefore no genuine faith or repentance. There has been no change! The "converts" in my story were never "new creatures in Christ"!!
A hog returns to the mud because he's just a hog! It is his nature to wallow in the mud. Unless a hog (the sinner) is changed in his inner most being by the power of God, he will return to the mud (the life of sin) at some point. Only "new creatures in Christ" will endure to the end! Therefore the Antinomian pastor is in error for proclaiming his former member is still saved and going to Heaven -thus giving the backslider and the church false assurance. At the same time, the Arminian pastor -while correct in assuming the person is not saved- also errs in saying the fellow was truly saved to begin with! In this situatuion the theological positions of both the pastors leave no room for what really happened in this case. Both pastors failed to discern the Bible's teaching on false conversion!
You see, the fact of the matter is that when we harvest souls there will always be some tares mixed in with the wheat. The tares may look much like the wheat at first, but they will never yield any true fruit. Many of our Lord's parables illustrate true and false conversion though I think many miss this vital teaching. In Matthew 13, the Lord Jesus illustrates true and false conversion very clearly in the Parable of the Sower. In this parable, there are 4 types of ground. All the various "ground" except the "good ground" represents false conversion. This is proven by the fact that none but the good ground ever yielded fruit! All the rest "fell away" because nothing genuine happened within their souls. The ground of their hearts had not been properly prepared to receieve the seed!
I agree with Evangelist Ray Comfort when he teaches that one of the failures of the modern church and reasons for the high "fall away rate" in churches, is due to the fact very few actually preach the high and holy standards of God's moral law. The majority of churches today may preach "the good news", but they leave out the reason why the good news is so good: that's because we have all sinned against a Holy God and deserve nothing but Hell! All humanity has broken His moral law and we are unfit for Heaven. Unless we repent of our sins and truly believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall not enter the Kingdom of Heaven! A proper understanding of this truth will help a person see what makes the Gospel such "good news"!
Many of today's churches and preachers are too worried about offending people with preaching God's Word. Sermons are being watered down or turned into some sort of self help psycho-babble. The sinfulness of man and his need for salvation is replaced by messages about prosperity, finding "purpose in life", or how to have "your best life now". Preaching the whole council of God is frowned upon and deemed to be old-fashioned by the modern pulpiteer. The aim of the modern sermon to create a "warm fuzzy" feeling and maybe a "decision for Christ" instead of repentance unto Life!
For a great handling of this topic, please visit the link below and listen to the message "Hell's Best Kept Secret". May God bless you and empower you as you do!
http://www.livingwaters.com/learn/hellsbestkeptsecret.htm
-Rhett
footnotes:
* Antinomianism- also known as "No Lordship theology"- is the belief that Jesus can be a person's Savior and not Lord. Antinomians often teach that Christians who are saved by Grace are under no obligation to observe the moral laws of God. Antinomians usually teach a twisted version of Perseverance that allows a "convert" to go on living in gross sin or even denying Christ without fear of Hell. This theology in effect makes Grace a licence to sin. Charles Stanley of In Touch Ministries is a good example of an Antinomian. His book "Eternal Security" is full of Antinomian teachings.
* Arminian Christians often affirm genuine God wrought Salvation can be lost through disobedience on the part of the believer.
