Evangelism

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Changed by God

David Brainerd (1718-1747) was a missionary to the American Indians in New York, New Jersey, and eastern Pennsylvania. Born in Connecticut in 1718, he died of tuberculosis at the age of twenty-nine.  Many people know of his work among the Indians, but in reading his diary (as edited by Jonathan Edwards), I was most struck with the work the Lord did in David Brainerd. 

Early in his short life, Brainerd admits, in his fallen state, to being irritated by 4 specific doctrines of God (pgs 64 & 65):

  1. The strictness of the divine law.  “I found it condemned me for my evil thoughts and sins of my heart, which I could not possibly prevent.”
  2. Salvation is by faith alone.  “God would not come down to lower terms and He would not promise life and salvation upon my sincere and heart prayers and endeavors.”
  3. As one dead in sin, he did not understand saving faith.  “I read the calls of Christ to the weary and heavy laden; but could find no way that He directed them to come in.”
  4. The Sovereignty of God.  “I could not bear that it should be wholly at God’s pleasure, to save or damn me, just as He would.  That passage, Romans 9:11-13, was a constant vexation to me, especially verse 21.”

In all his vexation at his condition, Brainerd records that he “never once prayed from any respect to the glory of God.” (pg 68)  All of his religion had been “nothing but self-worship, and a horrid abuse of God.” (pg 69)

A short time later, having been saved and experiencing manifold witnesses of the Lord working in his life and those of the Indians, he had learned to trust God: “I have been too much laboring for spiritual life, peace of conscience, and progressive holiness, in my own strength; but now God showed me, in some measure, the arm of all strength, and fountain of all grace.” (page 194)

We also see a helpful attitude towards his work and that of God: “Although I could not but continue to use the means by which I thought proper for the promotion of the work, yet God seemed, as I apprehended, to work entirely without them. … I found myself obliged and delighted to say, “Not unto us,” not unto instruments and means, “but to thy name be glory.””  And, “Thus God has begun, thus He has hitherto surprisingly carried on a work of grace amongst these Indians.  May the glory be ascribed to Him, who is the sole Author of it!” This is a man who has found the peace of working with his whole heart and soul for the right reason, trusting wholly in God for the work only He can do.

As one reads about the short life of David Brainerd, we see the young man maturing, yet always falling short.  Progressive sanctification, this is called.

And we see, a few months before his death, a deep understanding of the doctrines of grace that once caused him to hate God. He, weak in body, “Discoursed before the administration of the sacrament from John 1:29 – Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world.” Where upon he considered three points that are well our attention:

I.                    In what respects Christ is called the Lamb of God and is so called (1) from the purity and innocency of His nature; (2) from His meekness and patience under sufferings; (3) from His being that atonement which was pointed out in the sacrifice of lambs, and in particular by the paschal lamb.

II.                 How and in what sense He “takes away the sin of the world: not because all the world shall actually be redeemed from sin by Him, but because (1) He has done and suffered sufficient to answer for the sins of the world, and so to redeem all mankind; (2) He actually does take away the sins of the elect world.

III.               How we are to behold Him in order to have our sins taken away: (1) not with our bodily eyes; nor (2) by imagining Him on the cross; but (3) by a spiritual view of His glory and goodness, engaging the soul to rely on Him.

Would that you and I saw such wondrous Truth in such a simple verse! This is a mark that God has changed the man. No one can be saved and left without a mark from this mighty work of His Spirit. Let the Christian examine himself and see if there be any marks from of the saving grace of Holy God in his life and on his soul. If you be in Christ, rejoice! And know that it is God Himself that wills and performs His good pleasure in and through you – for the glory of His name.

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The CRC sign truck ministry needs your help.

Below are some of the details about the Christian Research & Counsel sign truck ministry and how you can help out.

We (Gery Cuprisin and Tom Jones) are going to take the CRC SignTruck on the first of three mission trips in response to the current Mormon TV commercials running in 9 test markets around the country. From Dec 7 thru Dec 14, we will cover three of the test markets by driving the SignTruck around those cities for a full day each, sending people to the web site for eternal life-saving information. We’ll also spend some time driving around each Temple city (see map below) along the way.

You can help to make this trip successful!

We need your help in the following ways:

•  Driver Volunteer to pick up WhatMormonsDontTell.com Jackets from the Logofactory in Palmyra and take them to Rochester this Friday, Saturday or Monday (drop off location to be determined). Call me (Tom) at 727-667-4112 to sign up.
•  Host the SignTruck missionaries for one night during our week-long trip to Florida (between Wednesday night, Dec 8 and Tuesday night Dec 14. See “Trip 1” on map below). Our only requirements will be a place for two men to sleep and shower. I’ll attach a map of the three mission trips. For now, we are concerned only with Trip 1 — but if you can look ahead to May or June, 2011, please volunteer now to host the SignTruck missionaries for one of those trips. Of course, the hosts will have to be within a reasonable driving distance of the interstate highway system along our planned route (the routes indicated on the map are simplified and do not reflect the actual highways). Call me (Tom) at 727-667-4112 to sign up.
•  Set up a Drive-by seminar to educate your Sunday School class, Youth Group (target group, must see!),small group, or church about the dangers of Mormonism and how to help Mormons see the spiritual trouble they are in without quarreling. If your group can meet within a reasonable distance from our basic route (see map above) we’d like to stop and conduct a two-part seminar to equip the body of Christ to warn others about Mormonism and witness effectively to Mormons. No fees charged. Donations accepted but not expected. Note the tentative dates on the map above and sign up now for Trip 1, 2, or 3 ! Call me (Tom) at 727-667-4112 for details and promo materials (poster and audio teaser announcement).
• Help with a donation. Thanks to our generous supporters, we are now debt-free but have not yet raised enough funds for all three trips. Please help with a generous year-end, tax deductible gift to CRC so that we can continue planning for all three trips. Time is of the essence as this is a currently running advertising test market by the Mormon Church and, to be the most effective, we must act while the topic is still fresh on the mind of the public.
• NEWS MEDIA. If you know someone with any of your local news media, or national news media for that matter, please call them and let them know what we are doing. Ask me to forward them our “Press Release”. 727-667-4112
• PRAYER REQUEST. I am scheduled for hernia surgery on Dec 17 and, yet, my surgeon has consented to my going on this mission trip. Please pray that Lord will fix it for me. But, in case He decides that’s a bit too dramatic for me, pray that I can get through the week without any emergencies which would spoil my surgery plans (especially my choice of surgeons) or hamper the mission trip. Pray for Gery, too, as he will be doing all the heavy lifting during the trip. Finally, lift up all those who need to hear our message and ask for many divine appointments along the way. Pray that we will be able to focus on preaching Christ and not merely exposing Mormonism’s deceit.
Thanks for whatever you can do to help!
Blessings,
Tom     ><>
Christian Research & Counsel
3500 12th Ave N
St Petersburg FL 33713
727-667-4112 (Cell)
“Belief without proof is faith. Belief in spite of proof is folly.”


 

http://www.WhatMormonsDontTell.com

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Should We Tell People Jesus Loves Them?

I’ve heard bold, outspoken Christians tell strangers that Jesus loves them. I’ve heard of people passing out candy and balloon animals along with a heartfelt, “Jesus loves you.”

I hate to tell these individuals they should stop. Their proclamation of Jesus’ love is more witnessing than what 90 percent of Christians will ever do.

However, there is no shortage of people who want to tell me that I’m witnessing all wrong when I give people the law before the gospel; I should just tell people that Jesus loves them. Over the years, I’ve tried a few different approaches to try to explain to them that that’s not what the Bible teaches.

  • There are zero examples of that being anyone’s gospel message in the Bible.
  • There are examples of gospel presentations to the contrary.
  • Even John 3:16 says that those who don’t believe in Jesus will perish.
  • Biblically, does Jesus really love everyone? Does He have the same type of love for everyone?

I’ve recently thought of a new approach—one that is actually ancient, because it is in 1 Peter 5:5: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” That verse is repeated in James 4:6 and Proverbs 3:34.

So, I’ve asked those who question me: If God opposes a proud person, do you think I shouldn’t tell them that He opposes them, but that He loves them?

No one has really had a response to that yet. It’s so quick and easy that it even works on the street.

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“Bible vs Joseph Smith” DVD outreach opportunity.

For those who are interested, here’s a great evangelistic opportunity from Tri-Grace Ministries:
LAST CHANCE – BIBLE vs JOSEPH SMITH DVD OUTREACH

Dear FPW’s (Faithful Prayer Warriors),

This will be very short. Several people have contacted us about the possibility of purchasing THE BIBLE vs JOSEPH SMITH DVD at the discounted price of $1.75 ea. If you are still thinking about ordering, the time to act is NOW because we are ready to place our order.So far 46 people from all over the country (plus one from Africa) have ordered the DVD and plan to distribute over 10,000 of these  DVD’s. This will surely create a ripple effect that will be felt world-wide by the LDS community. 

The LDS community is a tight knit, very well connected subculture. If only a few Mormons are saved as a result of this outreach, the impact will reach deep into the Mormon community. We are praying that outreach opportunities like this one will eventually become the straw that breaks the camel’s back. Not by power, nor by might, but my His Spirit!!!

We do not care how many DVDs you order – we just want to touch Mormons all across the world. So if you know any Mormons… order the DVD and drop one on their doorstep. Then pray and see what God will do.

Contact T.G.M at trigrace@gmail.com for more information or to place your order, but hurry, they will be placing this one-time large order very soon.

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Quotes (823)

You and I have an average of about seventy or eighty years on this earth. During these years we are bombarded with the temporary. Make money. Get stuff. Be comfortable. Live well. Have fun. In the middle of it all, we get blinded to the eternal. But it’s there. You and will stand on the porch of eternity. Both of us will soon stand before God to give an account for our stewardship of the time, the resources, the gifts, and ultimately the gospel he has entrusted to us. When that day comes, I am convinced we will not wish we had given more of ourselves to living the American dream. We will not wish we had made more money, acquired more stuff, lived more comfortably, taken more vacations, watched more television, pursued greater retirement, or been more successful in the eyes of this world. Instead we will wish we had given more of ourselves to living for the day when every nation, tribe, people, and language will bow around the throne and sing the praises of the Savior who delights in radical obedience and the God who deserves eternal worship.

– David Platt

Radical

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The poorest man in the world.

The following sobering piece comes from the Fruin family currently serving as missionaries in Mexico:
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The Meeting
It was dusk on Friday evening as we were driving up the dirt road that we call the short-cut to our home that sits in the middle of a ranch in northern Mexico. We were on an uphill, curving section that is very stony and rutted. The combination of road conditions and deep shadows required my undivided focus. “Watch out,” cried my wife, “I think that’s a man!” I had not seen anything but, directed by her gaze, I saw what did indeed appear to be a man just beside the right front corner of our full sized van. His dingy clothing served as camouflage on the unpaved road. I had just missed putting our wheel directly through his body lengthwise. He did not jump up. He did not dodge. “He must be passed out,” I thought to myself. He had moved ever so slightly assuring me he was not dead. The terror of nearly accidentally killing someone began to fade and, as will happen at times like these, was replaced by anger and indignation. “Some fool had become so inebriated that he passed out in the middle of the road,” I reasoned.
Continue reading here.
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The American Dream is NOT for Christians!

I was overwhelmed as I heard this brief clip. David Platt, pastor The Church at Brook Hills, is correct as he ministers in a way that is not designed to tickle itching ears. Being a true Christian demands radical obedience to the commands of Christ. It is from the cross, and NOT from a bed of roses, that Jesus Christ calls us to leave ALL and follow Him!

I would highly recommend the following message that David Platt preached at T4G 2010, entitled An Unadjusted Gospel in an Unreached World.

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Cultoons: A dying man on a Mormon’s doorstep.

DefCon is pleased to introduce its first ever Cultoon. If the dialogue in this Cultoon sounds familiar, it was loosely derived from an actual debate featured on this previous post. Enjoy.

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Independence Day and the state of the church in America.

Today marks the 234th anniversary of our nation’s birth, but this occasion brings to mind two problems that I see within Christendom; both of which have the same solution.

Firstly, why do we (every year at this time) feel the need to mix nationalism with the church? On this Sunday, Christians will be running from church to BBQs and parties; some won’t even need to leave the church property as all the festivities will be rolled into one like a church in my local area advertising the events they’re having at their “community freedom festival” which include:

Pony rides / Face painting / Food and drinks / Sno-cones, popcorn, cotton candy / Games and prizes / Bounce houses / Giant slide / Dunk tank / Crafts for the kids / Live music / And much more.

Remember, dear readers, this is a “church.” The only reference on their advertisement that has anything to do with Christianity (not even the name of the church indicates it’s a church) is the slogan “Christian Fellowship” under the church name. If you miss that, you won’t even know it’s a church.

Then there’sthis church’s 4th of July baptism fiasco:

“You don’t want to miss this weekend at NPC. There will be a special dueling guitar performance, spectacular pyrotechnics and hundreds of people getting dunked at Freedom Splash. It’s a great way to begin your Independence Day festivities! . . . Freedom Splash is a weekend designed for hundreds of families, adults, teenagers, and kids to get baptized. We invite you to take this step this weekend! We will have 2 giant swimming pools set up outside the main entrance. After attending service make your way out to the pools, sign in, and get baptized. . . . Jesus asked us to make our faith public by being baptized, so invite your family and friends to come and witness this step in your faith journey. You will receive an awesome Freedom Splash t-shirt to wear the day of the event (there is a $5 donation for the t-shirt, if you can’t pay still come and sign up).”

I am not opposed to celebrating Independence Day, but I am opposed to the mixture of the things of this world with the things of God, even if the thing being mixed is commendable, like patriotism.

The inescapable fact of the matter is that our nation today bears very little resemblance to that which was birthed in 1776, and I seriously doubt we will ever recover from its current state of moral and spiritual decay to return to what it once was.

Yet today, many of the messages in churches will have an Americana theme, and “God bless America” will be peppered throughout numerous sermons, as if God somehow overlooks the sin of this nation and its people because, after all, we’re Americans.

Today is the Lord’s Day, but what will be the main theme in many churches in America? I ask you to examine for yourselves what the emphasis will be on. Will it be on Christ or the country? What should the emphasis in church be on?

This leads me to my second concern: This independence day, should we be celebrating or mourning, partying or repenting? There’s an elephant in the room that no one seems to be talking about.

This, I know, will ruffle some feathers (even amongst the faithful readership of DefCon) but it needs to be said: Since when did Christianity become a political wing or special interest group?

As the masses in Christendom still seriously think they can ask God to bless this nation, they continue to hold out hope for America by means of political action. So many professing Christians I know of can spend countless hours talking politics, and countless hours working toward obtaining the desired results of the next election, yet how many of them talk about the Gospel with those same family members, neighbors, and friends?

I’ve bullet-pointed a few more of my concerns:

–  How much time and effort do Christians spend on politics compared to Bible reading, prayer, family devotions, evangelism, etc?

– Are there any politicians who—if they win—would really make a difference? Look at how many elections we’ve had since Roe v. Wade (many of which put pro-life Republicans into power), yet the genocide of the most innocent and defenseless class in our society rages on as we “legally” put more children to death daily than the terrorists had killed on 9/11.

– Are there any politicians who—like many who founded this country—are selfless in their political endeavors? Can you (honestly) name one politician who is involved in politics for the people and not for their own greed and self-interests? If you can, then I ask you, “Do they have a chance of winning?”

– What are Christians fighting in the political arena for? If they elected every person on the ballot that they thought was the best for our country, would it really change anything? Would they be capable of renewing the hearts of the people?

– Be careful what you wish for: You want to elect people who will re-institute school prayer? If they reversed the ban today, I fear your children in the government schools would be bowing to Mecca tomorrow.

– What is more important and has greater eternal consequences? The spreading of your politics views, or the preaching of Christ and Him crucified?

– How do you ever expect to reach your unsaved neighbor or coworker (the one who happens to be a staunch liberal democrat) when they see your car plastered with political bumper stickers and your front lawn littered with campaign signs, all of which advance a political worldview that is in complete opposition to their political world view? Have you not already polarized them before they meet you and have you not already turned them off to any other message you may bring before you even open your mouth?

– Is it politics and social issues that are the power unto salvation, or is it the Gospel?

– How much does evangelism suffer because politics reigns supreme in the lives of so many Christians?

My plea is that we will remove our heads out of the political sand. We will not change the inevitable course this country is on (if you can’t see the handwriting on the wall, you’re not paying attention).

In just my generation alone, homosexuality went from a taboo, to being embraced, to being celebrated, to being a morally virtuous lifestyle, to laws being passed that make those who oppose it fit to be charged criminally for “hate crimes” (as if there’s such a thing as a “love crime”). Mark my words, you will not stop the current tide no matter how politically active you are. Homosexual marriage will become a reality in this country; abortion will continue in this country; spiritual decline and carnal decadence will continue in this country, no matter who gets elected.

History shows that when a nation gets to where we are, it crumbles from the inside and is soon taken over by other nations that only had to sit back and wait for the moral rot to hollow out our foundations. (There’s even suggestions that this nation has already been abandoned by God, in spite of our plethora of “God bless America” bumper stickers, hats, and t-shirts.)

Jesus, the Disciples, and even the Apostle Paul never tried to change hearts by political action, nor did they try to legislate morality in the Roman world. They were too busy preaching “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” Yet American Christianity is too busy to preach the Gospel because they are so enamored and preoccupied with worldly politics.

Let me ask you, how many people do you expect to see in heaven because of your political efforts? Is God more glorified through the preaching of His Son, or through the preaching of the benefits and virtues of the latest political flavor of the month?

I’d like to conclude by clarifying what this missive is NOT about. Unfortunately I must do this because blogging experience has taught me that my words will be misunderstood and even twisted to create arguments that I never advanced:

– I am NOT against attending (or even hosting) Independence Day parties and BBQs; I’m simply saying that worldly celebrations should not be mingled (and ultimately eclipse) Jesus Christ on the Lord’s Day (or any other day for that matter).

– I do NOT rejoice at seeing what America has come to. I do NOT like when bad things happen to it. I am terribly sad to see what it has become and am angered when it is attacked. It still hurts to ponder the events of 9/11.

– I do NOT hate this country. This is the country of my birth and I have always been happy to live here. I still get teary-eyed during the playing of the Star Spangled Banner and Lee Greenwood’s God Bless the USA.

I love what this country was, but am grieved by what it’s become. The country we have today is not the country that was founded by this nation’s forefathers, and there’s nothing you or I can do to stop or reverse the condition we find ourselves in. Instead, I urge you to return to your first love, the Lord Jesus Christ. Turn your affections once again to Him, His Church, and to the work of building up His kingdom—not by worldly Dominionst means—but by making disciples.

We should be identified first and foremost by our religion, not our politics. And our ultimate allegiance should not be to a political party, a flag, or a nation, but to the Lamb of God who is worthy to receive honor, and glory, and power, forever and ever, Amen.

See also: Has the Religious Right lost its voice in American politics?

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Wal-Mart Evangelism

A low-budget tract table at Wal-Mart

My friend invited me to help him share the gospel at Wal-Mart. The store’s corporate policy allows people to set up a table near the entrance. Most organizations I’ve seen taking advantage of this policy sell something as a fund raiser. We simply gave away tracts and had several good conversations about the gospel.

Wal-Mart isn’t public property, and I don’t think the store is obligated to allow anyone to do this. It has rules regarding the amount of time and number of days people are permitted to do this. The possibilities are endless for those willing to abide by these rules.

My friend simply asked to speak to the manager and she specified the time, but allowed us to choose the dates. We spoke to about 15 or 20 people in the three hours we were there, so while we certainly weren’t swamped, being there was worth the time. I would recommend a weekend so that more people won’t be too busy to stop and chat.

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Quotes (715)

Till men are weary and heavy laden, and pricked at the heart, and quite sick of sin, they will not come to Christ for cure, nor sincerely enquire, “What shall we do?” They must see themselves as dead men, before they will come to Christ that they may live.

– Joseph Alleine

1634 – 1668

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Helping our Persecuted Brethren with a Living Faith

Our FamilyI came across In Jesus’ Name Ministry today and it appears that they are doing a wonderful work to help the poor and persecuted Christians who live in the most hostile regions opposed to Jesus Christ and his word.  These being our brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers whom we are to love not in tongue only but in deed and in truth. 

Below are some facts posted on their website that I hope will prick all of our hearts to reach out more and more to those who are in such great need.  Please reach out and help and share with others. 

  • Most Christians in our world live as minorities, are increasingly persecuted, and are very poor. They live “behind the gates of  hell.” They urgently need our love and help.
  • The overwhelming emphasis on  New Testament giving is for Christians who are prosperous to help fellow believers who are lacking food, clothing, shelter, and medical care.  
  • There is little or no teaching in American Churches on the immense sufferings of our brethren, or on our clear Biblical responsibility to be helping them.  
  • When Christians suffer in our world, Jesus suffers with, and in them. He is at the right hand of the Father, and at the same time dwells in the hearts of His children. 
  • When we help our brethren, we are helping our Savior. When we ignore the sufferings of our brethren, we are ignoring the present sufferings of Jesus Christ. Matthew 25:31-46  
  • If we do not help our brethren who are in great need, how will we, as prosperous western Christians, and pastors, answer to our Lord when we stand before Him. The Word of God is clear on this issue – We are to help our less fortunate brethren, IN WHOM CHRIST LIVES.
  •  Most Christians in our world live as minorities, are increasingly persecuted, and are very poor. They live “behind the gates of  hell.” They urgently need our love and help.
  • The overwhelming emphasis on  New Testament giving is for Christians who are prosperous to help fellow believers who are lacking food, clothing, shelter, and medical care.
  • There is little or no teaching in American Churches on the immense sufferings of our brethren, or on our clear Biblical responsibility to be helping them.
  • When Christians suffer in our world, Jesus suffers with, and in them. He is at the right hand of the Father, and at the same time dwells in the hearts of His children.
  • When we help our brethren, we are helping our Savior. When we ignore the sufferings of our brethren, we are ignoring the present sufferings of Jesus Christ. Matthew 25:31-46
  • If we do not help our brethren who are in great need, how will we, as prosperous western Christians, and pastors, answer to our Lord when we stand before Him. The Word of God is clear on this issue – We are to help our less fortunate brethren, IN WHOM CHRIST LIVES.