Friday, November 30, 2007

Global Warming

I usually dont get into the global warming debate I am today... Here is one positive to come from global warming...

how i evangelise

How I evangelize…

1) Pray

2) Talk and listen to someone who doesn’t know Jesus yet

3) Ask them about their beliefs… I normally try to find an opening in the conversation so when I ask it doesn’t freak them out

4) I tell them why I am a Jesus follower

5) I tell them the gospel

6) I challenge them to repent and believe

7) I pray with them

I think most people find step 3 hard. I use something they say then use it to lean into something Spiritual…

Here’s some examples that might work…

  • Me: “What did you do on the weekend?”

Them: “I went shopping… What did you do?”

Me: “I went to church and hung out with friends, it was great…”

Them: “Oh, ok…”

Me: “Do you ever go to church” OR “Do you believe in God?”

Them: “Not really”

Me: “Why’s that? Boy, could I tell you some stories…”

Then I go from there… It’s so not confrontational and you get to talk about why you believe in God…

  • Them: “I watched supernatural the other night…”

Me: “Did you really? What happened?”

Them: “Angels/demons etc”

Me: “I’ve cast demons out of people before…”

OR if that’s not true, “I know people who have cast demons out of people before…”

Then I talk about that and gradually you’ll get to talk about how to be free from demons etc…

  • An easy one is when people are down and you just tell them the promises of God,

“Cast your burdens upon Jesus for He cares for you.”

“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

“I have come to set the captives free.”

Just tell them how God can help them! Easy as!

In all of the above there is room for jokes, words of knowledge, prophesy, your own personality etc… You just need to be open to talking about Jesus! People who are gifted evangelists will make opportunities, but if we all took our opportunities we’d get a lot more people saved…

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Wednesday

Firstly, there is a BEYOND CONNECTIONS blog site up. Theres two there. Wise Words and Youth Speak. All youth out there, make sure you get on there and comment like crazy! Its your Army so do something about it! Share your ideas, thoughts, and grudges and lets win the world for Jesus!

Secondly, No one will want to miss Sunday night at Macleod Salvos! Its the world premiere of "So you think you can preach!" Great speakers in Pete and Jo Brookshaw, Tish Rowe, Alana Armstrong and ME! Its going to be fantastic, Great music is lined up, great preachers! All you need to do now is bring along all the unsaved people you know and they'll get saved! Hallelujah! Lets get heaven partying all night long with all the new converts!

Thirdly, Jesus Saves! He saves us from all evil. The world for God concept is great. We need to win the world for God. This is both individual and social, souls and justice! Its everything! If everyone knew Jesus imagine how cool it would be! Now, imagine closer to home, your family, your school... Get moving, theres a dieing world to save!

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

I had the privledge of leading another person to Christ today! Hallelujah!

After several months of seeing souls saved reguarly I am seeing life in a new way. I see conversion in a new way. I see regeneration by the Holy Spirit in a new way.

In Booths day, and in the Bible time, we see people really repenting of their sins. Booth wanted to see tears, he wanted to make sure people were really repenting. People can say they believe but unless they repent their belief doesnt lead anyware.

And thats how I see the Western church these days. We dont preach sin and repentance. Instead we market the gospel to peace, prosperity and happiness! All are truth to a certain degree... But we need repentance before we start seeing real fruit. We see this repentance in heaps of the youth that finally take on their christian parents beliefs, and thats when we see change.

Booth saw massive turnaround conversions because they preached repentance, however, it seems that today, it takes a while to get believers to the point of repentance... What would happen if we all started preaching repentance?

"The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!" Matthew 1:15

Monday, November 26, 2007

Amazing salvations!

HOT OFF THE PRESS!

Just had a call from one of the Revolution Recruits from Plenty Valley!

He was walking around school and some girl came up to him and said she had a dream with him in it. This was strange because he doesn't really even know this girl. She then told him she had a dream of him praying for her, and that she had seen heaven and hell! She woke up sick. So he preached it to her, prayed with her, she got saved and fell forward onto her face by the Spirit!

Also, one of the guys he led to Christ the other week excitedly came up to him and told him that he himself had led someone else to Christ!

Salvations! Hallelujah! God is good and is working in Plenty Valley!

Connections

Connections was great!

Heres a couple of the issues that were discussed...
_________
TSA is most trusted organisation in Australia. We are seen as a group of people who don't preach to people and this is apparently a good thing. People like us because we don't preach?

What does that mean?

Does that mean we only help people in Jesus name but don't try to get them saved? You can only respond to the gospel if you hear it. Have we as an Army stopped preaching with words and are hiding behind our good works hoping that people will want to get saved? Heres a headline for you, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Mormons etc all help the poor too. We have more than good works! We have the one and only true living God who created and loves His creation!

What scares me is that the fact that "we are seen as a group of people who do not preach it" is seen as a positive! Who cares if that means people like us, our friendship with them is not going to save them from facing up to the consequences of their sinful lives! Yeah we might win a few like we have been, which is great, but arent our expectations a little higher than a few here and there? Aren't we all about "THE WORLD FOR GOD?" After all, we did sing about it.

People can not get saved without putting their faith in Christ. People cannot learn about or respond to Christ unless they hear about it. Works are good, and it shows a glimpse of Christ, but for them to be saved they need more.

I propose we need to keep up the holy living, the responding to people with justice and compassion, but also preaching the gospel strongly! We should not be ashamed of God, the gospels or the fact that we're trying to get people saved!

Is the Salvation army wanting to keep going down the not preaching path, or do they want an Army of evangelists who are trying to plunder hell and populate heaven? I know what I'm called to do...

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Rudd wins the election. There will be a few pastors around the country who will be scratching their heads and bunkering down in prayer to see why their prophecies of a Howard win did not eventuate. Im waiting for their explanation, did they mis-hear or did the prophecy come with a "if?"
_______
More connections stuff...

Over 2000 people marched for justice in the name of Jesus! Followed by a rally at Fed Square. Heaps of people stopped and listened to the musicians, and the gospel! Nazarite Vow were awessome and testified that they play because of Jesus! Frankie Wants Out were great as they always are, their committment to helping the Salvos out is fantastic. Mez Coleman has a fantastic voice and dazzled the crowd with her cool groove. Bits and pieces played some MXPX, Relient K, Planetshakers etc with the worlds smallest guitar player!lol Great job everyone!

Alot of people herd the gospel!

Around 3000 people gathered yesterday morning for commissioning and the Holy Spirit definitely showed up!
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Some stuff from connections:

Uniform was made with the intent to emphasize the priesthood of all believers. -Is it these days? Have we instead gone the other way and broaden the gap between officers and soldiers even with different colored eplets?

In 1901 salvos took up.8% of the population now we're o.4%

T. Costello encouraged us not to get too close to telling the public we're a church because of its bad press, heres an easy way to do that, lets call ourselves CORPS...

Alan Harley is a great Holiness teacher, more on him during the week!

Thursday, November 22, 2007

Although we live in this world we do not wage war as the world does. But the weapons we fight with are not the weapons of this world. The weapons we fight with have devine power to demolish strongholds.

We cant win this war on our own. We need divine weaopns that demolish strongholds. Weapons that demolish strongholds of the devil and his demons. Our weaopns are Spiritual, Spiritual gifts from God, used with authority activated by faith.

Even though we live on Earth, we dont fight like everyone else, we fight with the gospel of love and grace.
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Yesterday I had the chance to make up "New Christian' showbags! It was really fun. We're going to give them to new Christians as they get saved. The pack has a Bible, some little toys like bouncy balls that say Jesus Saves, book mark with arnour of God on it, a new Christian daily devotion etc We believe that we need to be expecting people to get saved before they actually will.

Our resources and weapons we are using in TSA at the moment I believe are sub standard. The war is too big to be using the weapons they try to teach us. Thats the problem, we're trying to learn it on our own. Its not Spiritually imparted to us from God. Get baptised in the Holy Ghost and fight with some Spiritual Weapons!
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Also, we went and did some serving yesterday. It was pouring with rain so we went and held umbrellas for people who were leaving the shops. Not many peole accepted our offer, but they all smiled and I was able to tell some a bit about God...

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

"At least 30 members of a Russian doomsday Orthodox sect, including four children, are continuing to barricade themselves in a dug-out outside a Russian village to await the Apocalypse." I also read that they believe the apocalypse is coming in May.

I know theres a few prophets who read this blog... Have you heard the same thing?

Heres a thought... If it was to end in May, and you didnt want people to go to hell, then what would you do?

Why dont we try anyway?

Revolution- by Eleventyseven

I don't mean to cause mass hysteria
It's on its way and its probably gonna bury you
And there's nothing much that you can do
There's nothing good left to immitate
Nobody is left now to mediate
And everybody has still got something to prove

Pre-chorus:
I can't even tell whats right from wrong
Will someone please tell me what's going on

Chorus:
Cause we need more than a revolution
Something deeper than a false solution
To replace what's going wrong
So don't look alarmed when everyone's choking
Suffocated on what they're hoping in
Let's move this along

Don't ask for me to participate
I'm just the wrong kind of candidate
It's pure hypocrisy that makes me, me
God show me past all this ignorance
I can't pretend to be innocent
It takes much more than words to make a stand

Pre-chorus

Chorus

To where we find a passion
And not just fake reactions
In all the words we choose today
'Cause there's no easy answer
When greed becomes a cancer
And now it's eating us away

Nothing in our world is working. Poeple try different things all the time, trying to find, peace, balance, enlightenment... I read an article the other day showing all the trendy religions that the celebreties try out... Jesus is the only way. Lets show people Jesus, He's much better than getting drunk on the weekend, or getting high with the rastas, or sitting in a circle humming, or stretching for an hour, or drinking green tea, or positive thinking... Hes the real deal

Monday, November 19, 2007

Jesus Freak

What will people think
When they hear that Im a jesus freak?
What will people do
When they find thats its true?

Separated, I cut myself clean
From a past that comes back in my darkest of dreams
Been apprehended by a spiritual force
And a grace that replaced all the me Ive divorced

I saw a man with tat on his big fat belly
It wiggled around like marmalade jelly
It took me a while to catch what it said
Cause I had to match the rhythm
Of his belly with my head
Jesus saves is what it raved in a typical tattoo green
He stood on a box in the middle of the city
And claimed he had a dream

(chorus)
What will people think
When they hear that Im a jesus freak
What will people do when they find that its true
I dont really care if they label me a jesus freak
There aint no disguising the truth

Kamikaze, my death is gain
Ive been marked by my maker
A peculiar display
The high and lofty, they see me as weak
Cause I wont live and die for the power they seek

There was a man from the desert with naps in his head
The sand that he walked was also his bed
The words that he spoke made the people assume
There wasnt too much left in the upper room
With skins on his back and hair on his face
They thought he was strange by the locusts he ate
The pharisees tripped when they heard him speak
Until the king took the head of this jesus freak

(repeat chorus 2x)

People say Im strange, does it make me a stranger
That my best friend was born in a manger
People say Im strange, does it make me a stranger
That my best friend was born in a manger

(repeat chorus 2x)

What will people think
[what will people think]
What will people do
[what will people do]
I dont really care
[what else can I say]
There aint no disguising the truth
[jesus is the way]

Jesus Freak by DC Talk... i love the words and the song rocks even though its getting old...
Are you a Jesus freak? Why not? I love Jesus

Hmmmm Im getting a tattoo, what should I get and where on my body? Im thinking something like Jesus saves, and or immanuel, but i also like blood fire... if anyones reading this givce me some suggestions...

Sunday, November 18, 2007

Just a quick post for today...

Firstly, the youth did the meeting today and it was great. They have real potential as they did a terrific job leading, singing and preaching! Well done guys! We had 2 sermons, one on the change Jesus makes in our life, and the second one was on spiritual gifts. We had a cool altar call at the end with people responding really well!

Plenty Valley Salvo Salvation Count

Thursday 2
Friday 1
Sunday 1

Sunday also had 4 re-dedications/asking to be born again...
and a bunch of people asked God to fill them with the Holy Spirit

Not a bad weekend hey? How did your corps go?
We need to start doing this more consistently if we want to see the WORLD saved...

Thankyou Jesus for coming to save the world
Sorry for not aggressively evangelising like we should
please give us boldness, purity, power and passion to do it

Friday, November 16, 2007

YOU MUST READ THIS!

Firstly! As a corps we decided to aim to get 20 people saved in the three or so months before the end of they year. We are now down to 4 or 5! Hallelujah! Most of them have been from the youth side of things.

Last night a girl came to band practice. Shes been once before but i know her a bit from different things. She just got out of detox. She told us she had her drug problems but told us all shes over that now. She recommitted her life to God at band practice! It was great!

One of the leading evangelists at church has led 2 people to Christ during his maths class in the past 2 days! Praise the Lord! He started taking his little Bible to school so he could evangelise. Then he also took tracts, now hes moved on to taking his BIG bible to school and is seeing results in maths! hahaha He prayed for a girl today once she was saved and she had a glory fit (God knocked her to the ground) in front of the whole class! When he was asked what he had done to her, he replied "I invited her to the party in heaven!" Classic! Lord let more get saved during maths, p.e, english etc!

All this says that we can all get people saved anywhere anytime! Take your Bible to work, school, the train, wherever. Search for opportunities to tell people about the God who loves them so much!
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Been at Torquay today! Beautiful! Great weather, great friends and not too bad waves! Got a little sunburnt but not too bad! Thanks God for the great weather!
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i love this season!

Thursday, November 15, 2007

the truth...?

As I go about my life and meet different people I see that there are so many different beliefs in the world today. The muslims believe an angel visited Mohommed, some believe in re-incarnation, others in buddha or some of the thousands of hindu idols. Still others believe their dead relatives and friends hover over them and watch them all the time. Most people believe in heaven and hell, but only the people they dont like would go to hell, they basically believe anyone can go to heaven if your "good."

Well, sorry to say this but theyre all worng! Islam is satanic, hell is for those who dont believe in Jesus and those who havent repented, our dead relatives arent angels who watch over us, Jesus is the judge who decides who goes to heaven or hell. The world can throw so much "good news" (gospels) our way, do it yourself books, relaxation methods, ancient meditation, positive thinking stuff. But sadly its wrong and leads to eternal death.

Jesus is the only way, He is the truth, and He is the life! (John 14:6) Anything that says He is not has the spirit of the anti-christ in them. (1 John 2:22-23) But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! (Galatians 1:8)

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Jesus is coming back!

God is good! How bout this hey?

3We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing. 4Therefore, among God's churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.

5All this is evidence that God's judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. 6God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you 7and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. 8He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power 10on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.

11With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith. 12We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.[b]

(2 Thes 1:3-12 NIV)

I posted before, I don't want to die, i want to be here when Jesus comes back! How cool would that be! God prepare me! Jesus is coming back! Lets get busy!

Also, how do Christians not accept the idea of hell? Sin is bad, God is holy and just. What more is there to say? Their authority comes purely from reason and their argument will always lose against arguments with authority... Hell is real, lets not let anyone we know go there!

Monday, November 12, 2007

The Salvation Army's reasons for world evangelisation as on the internet site...


World Evangelisation is:

  • Enabling every person on earth to hear the gospel in a way they can understand, and have a valid opportunity to become a Christian
  • An approach to man in his totality and the world in its totality in order to transform, perfect and save them


We are committed to World Evangelisation because:
  • We accept that Christ’s Great Commission applies to us
  • We know how much the salvation made possible by Jesus has transformed us, so we want to share it with others throughout the world
  • Our activity, however small it may be, makes a contribution to world justice and peace
  • It helps prepare for the future coming of Jesus. (Mark 13:10)


And also because:
  • It is within the traditions of our movement and the church
  • It stimulates the life of the home church

Salvationist Involvement


Salvationists share in world evangelisation by:

  • Regarding themselves as being involved in Christian mission locally, wherever they are
  • Being involved in mission with their corps/congregation/centre
  • Supporting the International Self-Denial Fund
  • Partnership with another part of the world church
  • Praying for a selected part of the world – through the Prayer Covenanters’ League and in other ways
  • Considering God’s call to ‘go into all the world’ (Mark 16: 15)
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Also, LivingWaters.com is a great website with teaching and resourcing on evangelism, check it out...

Saturday, November 10, 2007

Salvation!

1. Check out Sarah M's blog. She had the privilege of leading a friend to Christ yesterday at school! Anyone can do it! Jesus appeared to her friend in the clouds... You'll see what I mean...

2. CFAN had a successful crusade in AGBOR with 886,139 souls saved! Hallelujah!

3. Check out Steve C's blog for the article on the NFL player who's getting his whole team saved... 24 people at last count! hahahahallelujah!

4. Australia will not lose a cricket match this summer. Welcome to the team Jaques and Johnson.

5. An Evangelical Pastor Killed - Associated Press
Pastor Diego Armando Bejarano, 27, was killed recently in the region west of Bogotá. Witnesses say hooded men took Bejarano by force and stabbed him. The motives for the killing are unknown; however, it is common knowledge guerrillas groups view Protestant pastors who encroach on territory under their control as military objectives. In the last 10 years, guerrillas have assassinated 133 pastors, Protestant missionaries and Catholic priests, according to the Evangelical Council of Colombia. Ask God to encourage and minister to the pastor's family and church as they mourn. Pray his testimony draws his attackers and nonbelievers into the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Matthew 5:4

6. Praise God we can win the world for Jesus here in Australia without hardcore persecution. Maybe it would be better if we were being persecuted... That would sort the boys from the men... Or the girls from the women...

7. Pray for the General. Hes got cancer.

8. Lets preach the gospel today!

Friday, November 09, 2007

the world for God

Last night I was watching tv really late and a show came on, it was "Where are the biggest losers now" or something... The basic thing was, you lost weight, its been a while, so have you kept the weight off? What a great idea hey?

So, for you. When did you get saved? Have you stayed saved until now? We believe that continuance in a state of salvation depends upon continued obedient faith in Christ.
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Secondly, we are at war to see the world saved. To win the world for Jesus. Not just your neighborhood, or school, or little community but the world! I haven't seen much resources or training that fits the mission though.

If you aren't getting resourced, trained to win the world for Jesus come to Plenty Valley! We're training end time warriors for the last global harvest that will usher in the second coming of Christ. I want to see the word saved before I die, in fact, I don't want to die, I want to see the world saved and the return of Christ so I don't need to die! Are you with me?

Lets live our lives in a way that will bring about this last global harvest of souls that will usher in the second coming of our King!

God is good!

Tonight was awessome at band practice. We had a great prayer time at the end. Pretty much everyone was knocked over by the Holy Spirit. A couple of people even fell forwards! We had people prophesying, prophecies being confirmed, curses being broken, blessings being declared. A great time to the glory of God! Hallelujah!

Second part of Finney... (still in fairly contemp english... my better version coming soon...)

Sins of Commission

  1. Worldliness: What has been the state of you heart to world possessions? Have you looked at hem as your own, meaning you have the right to do with them as you like? If you have write it down. If you have loved property, and tried to get it for the sake of it to satisfy lust or ambition, or a worldly spirit, or to lay it up for your family, you have sinned and must repent!

  1. Pride: Vanity is a specific form of pride. How many times have you spent more time, going through more of a hassle to decorate your body to go to church than you have spent preparing your heart and mind for the worship of God? You have gone to the house of God caring more about how you look to mortal men and women than how your soul appears in the sight of the heart searching God! You came to divide the worship of Gods house, to draw off attention of Gods people to look at your petty appearance!

  1. Envy: Look at the times when you were envious of those who you thought to be above you in any way. Be honest, and if you have accommodated this spirit of hell, repent deeply before God, or He will never forgive you.

  1. Highly critical: Times when you have been bitter, when you have spoken to Christians in a manner totally devoid of charity and love, charity requires you always hope the best, and to put the best slant on any ambiguous behavior.

  1. Slander: The times what you have spoken behind peoples backs of the faults, real or made up, of members of the church or others, un necessisarily, or without good reason. This is slander. You don’t have to lie to be guilty of slander, telling the truth with the aim of hurting is slander.

  1. Lightheartedness: How often have you gone about as though nothing matters, but you would not dare do in front of God.

  1. Lying: Understand what lying is. It is any means of designed deception. If you design to make an impression contrary to the naked truth, you lie. How many lies are told in business, and in social times, by words, looks, and actions in order to make an impression on people contrary to the truth.

  1. Robbing God: Times when you have misspent your time, wasted hours, which God gave you to save souls, in vain amusements or foolish conversation, reading novels, watching T.V or doing nothing.

  1. Bad Temper: Maybe you have abused friends, family, partners, or other people in any way. Write it down.

  1. Hindering others from being useful: Maybe you have weakened their influence by insinuations against them. You have not only robbed God of your own talents, but tied the hands of someone else!

Wednesday, November 07, 2007

I love prophesy

I love prophesy! I love it how I can be going about my everyday life then all of a sudden something will happen, and out of the blue I'll get a text message from a prophet saying something discerning and encouraging. I love it how I might be stuck on a question and have no idea what to do and seemingly can't hear God then a prophet says "This may sound strange but God says..." Or when life is getting you down a little bit and a prophet says something encouraging. And a really good one, when you're being tempted to do something bad and you get a message reminding you what its all about and it keeps you on track. I love it when I deliver a message and it turns out it actually was from God and not something I just made up! I love knowing I have heard from the Lord God Almighty! I love prophesy!

There are alot of prophets out there. Some good, some bad. Some of truth, some not. Some we listen to, others we don't. But God sends them and we need to listen to them. Please think of the prophets out there who get these weird and wacky words to say to people like you and me, it can be quite scary and risky. But they do it because of the burden God gives them before they give it.

Thank you God for the messages you give us. Thank you to the obedient prophets! Thank you people for listening to the prophets!

We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. Romans 12:6

Monday, November 05, 2007

stuff

Firstly, You need to check out www.justsalvos.com! It is awesome!

Secondly, Christmas is coming and I demand that you buy your presents from the gift catalog the salvos have here. It is really really really good! You can buy stuff for people in the developing world. Stuff like mossie nets, rehab, crutches, animals, tools, toys, education, banks, income generating stuff, and even stuff for officers! Prices range from $5 to $1000! Something in everyones price range! Look out for it in ONFIRE. You are oppressing the poor if you don't buy presents from it! Don't waste your money buying people stuff that is crap and they'll forget about and they don't even need, and lets do something positive! Great work whoever put the catalog together, it is FANTASTIC!

Thirdly, me and Sarah were in a car crash last night. God completely protected us. Sarah was driving and we got hit by a car. I looked over to see if she was ok expecting her to be badly injured but somehow no one got hurt, and the cars shouldn't be too bad either. Prayers of thanks, but also, please pray that Sarah can afford all the repairs, insurance etc

Fourthly, the divisional youth event yesterday was good. It got rained out so we took it inside. It was suppose to be full on evangelizing but we can't complain about the rain can we? What impressed me was that there were some guys who were upset that we didn't go street preaching and stuff! I love the culture of us not wanting to be fed all the time but actually want to go out and get people saved! We are a Salvation Army! Hallelujah!

Fifthly, keep you ears to the ground for "So you think you can preach!" Coming soon...

Saturday, November 03, 2007

I have started handing out Tracts alot more than I ever had before. I've been very surprised at how effective street evangelism has actually been. I believe the world sells us a message that street evangelism doesn't work in todays culture, but from the results I've seen since "Go For Souls" I can safely say that street evangelism works. People are getting saved because the gospel is being preached! Check out http://www.atstracts.org/ They boast 180 years of changing peoples lives.

A tract is something that is pointed, keeps peoples attention and has a clear gospel message. I now see the value of the War Cry however I believe it is not as pointed as what it could be. So, I have plans to make a monthly newsletter type tract to hand out with testimonies etc all aimed at getting people saved (not just talking through things)...
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On another note, I want to thank God because I have such a great job! We went to luna Park last night for Youth group and I had such a great time with the youth. Its great having people love you so much as they grab you and force you to go on rides with them. It makes you feel so wanted and so special.

Which leads me to this point. Do you go to church to be fed? I use to, but now I go to serve and I find that i am being fed by the people I am ministering to. So, a challenge, if you're worried about not being fed, start serving! Start up some evangelsim stuff, or go help out at a soup kitchen. Most importantly, find a community where you can minister, its about a lifestyle of mission not a day, or job of mission...

For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more! 1 Corinthians 9:19

Friday, November 02, 2007

sins of omission

Me and Charles Finney are beginning to translate some of his work into modern english... And maybe even youth language... This is modern English mostly, but I'm working on making it even more relevant... Have a read, you're suppose to write down all your sins so you can repent of them... Its from a chapter entitled "How to promote a revival."

Sins of Omission

  1. Un-thankfulness: Think of all the times that God has done something for you, answered a prayer, granted a favor and you have not said thank you! Write down all these times, then go over them 3 or 4 times and see the amazing amount of times that God has never been praised.

  1. Lack of love to God: Think how terrible and alarmed you would be if you found out your wife, husband, children, and friends did not love you as much anymore. If you saw them absorbing all their time, hearts and thoughts in some one else. Perhaps you would die of a just jealousy! Now, God says He is a jealous God! And haven’t you given your heart to other things and people, acted the adulterer and offended God?

  1. Neglect of the Bible: Write down all the times, perhaps it was days, weeks, months, or even longer when reading the Bible was not a priority, or enjoying.

  1. Unbelief: These are the times when you have called the God of truth a liar by your unbelief in His promises and declarations.

  1. Neglect of prayer: Times when you did not set aside a time to pray in your own devotions, praying with your family, prayer meetings, or have prayed in a way that would have upset and angered God more than if you had just not prayed at all.

  1. Neglect of means of grace: When you have come up with excuses not to go to church and share with believers, when you have neglected spiritual exercises.

  1. Lack of love for the souls of friends and family: Have a look around and see all your friends and family, and how little compassion you have had for them. You have stood by and seen them heading straight for hell, and it seems as though you do not care. How many days has there been when you have not prayed for their salvation, or at least had an eager desire to see them saved?

  1. Lack of care for the pre-believers: Measure how much you want to see them saved by how much you sacrifice for them, how much do you give to give them the gospel? Does your lifestyle change, even to inconvenience you so that some may be saved? Do you daily pray for them in your devotions? Do you attend the monthly prayer meeting? Do you put aside something to give to God to use for their salvation? If you are not doing these things, and if your souls does not ache for the poor unbelievers, why are you such a hypocrite to pretend to be a Christian? Your profession of faith is an insult to Jesus Christ!

  1. Not kept family duties: As you have lived with your family, how have you prayed, what example have you given them by the way you live your life? What direct efforts do you regularly do for their spiritual good? What have you neglected?

  1. Neglect to watch your own life: Times when you have completely forgot to watch your own behavior, and have been caught off guard, and have sinned in front of the world, in front of the church, and in front of God.

  1. Neglect to watch over your brothers and sisters in Christ: How often have you broken your covenant that you would watch over them in the Lord. Would you watch your wife or child going in to the fire of hell and keep nice and quiet? No way! Of course you wouldn’t! What do you think of yourself, to pretend to love Christians, while you see them disgracing themselves and say nothing to them?

  1. Neglect of self denial: The are so many Christians who are willing to do anything for religion as long as it doesn’t include self sacrifice. They only give of their surplus wealth, and perhaps that poor woman who puts in $1 at the monthly prayer meeting has sacrificed more than they have in giving thousands!

Thursday, November 01, 2007

who do you worship?

I was talking to some one the other day and they were saying that the devil wants us all to go to hell. And I thought, why does he want us to go to hell? It didn’t make sense. Some people say that the devil is the king in hell. But my Bible tells me otherwise. My Bible says that hell is the place God created to punish the devil and his demons. (Matthew 25) So why does the devil want us to go to hell?

The devil used to be an angel. But he wanted to take Gods place, he wanted to be God. (Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28) This turned into a fight in heaven and the devil and a third of the angels were kicked out. (Revelation 12) Then we see Jesus talking about how He saw the devil fall from heaven. (The Rev 12 passage is just like most of the book of revelation, no one can agree what it actually means... But from the other passages and others like Jude I think we can at least believe the minimum of what I have written down...)

So, I believe the devil is not so much worried about where we spend eternity, but who we are worshiping. The devil sees it this way, every person who does not worship God is worshiping him by default, we are completing the devils plans and mission if we decide to not to follow God. We are agreeing with the devil to disobey God and live for ourselves.

Who are you following? Who are you worshiping when you watch that dirty movie or pass on that nasty bit of gossip? Who are you worshiping when swear and curse other people? Or when you get angry and judgmental? Who are you worshiping when you put your own needs above others? Who are you worshiping when you simply choose to do nothing when something is required of you? As Matthew 25 says, if we do the wrong thing we will go to the place of everlasting punishment, the place prepared for demons!

But don't fear! Jesus doe not want you to go to hell! He has come to save you! Stop worshiping the devil, start worshiping Jesus and you will be saved!

Acts 2:21
And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'