Sats or people?

One day my family (Mum, Dad, and my two brothers) and I were in England and I got lost. I was terribl.y worried and I think my parents might have been too! My family decided they didnt want to go home until they found me. My parents wanted 3/3 of their boys to go home with them. Numbers were important because numbers represented people.

In the book of Acts we see the explosive growth of the early church. Luke, the author of the book, constantly reminds us how many people were saved at different times. Numbers were important because numbers represented people.

In Luke 15:1-7 the Good Shepherd counts His flock and realises one is missing. So He starts searching for this one sheep. Numbers were important because numbers represent people.

So often people complain about people talking about numbers, but we need to remember that numbers do represent people, they represent people that Jesus wants to save and He wants 100% of the earths population. Praise God I was one of the numbers that were added to the Kingdom!

Street Preaching Stats

Some say that street evangelism does not work in our culture today. However we have statistics that prove this wrong. We have been doing some street evangelism since February...

Since February we have seen 11 people decide to start following Jesus and ask Him for forgiveness. Hallelujah! This is roughly 1 out of every three times we go out someone gets saved! So far two have fallen away.

To add to this the gospel we preach is that God is holy, we are sinful, sin separates us from God both now and forever, Jesus died and rose again to save us and bring us into right relationship with God. We always give an opportunity to accept this message. The way we tell people they need to accept the message is to "Repent and Believe."

2 have fallen away from faith. These 2 made a committment then that was it. This is dreadful and shows the importance of true repentance. Statistically speaking though this all means that lots of people get saved and 2/11 fall away at this stage. We have preached about once a week on average with an average of more than one a week deciding to follow Jesus, 1/3 times someone gets saved. (so on the time someone does get saved more than one have followed)

We accept this research is only 2 months old and it could all change quickly but the real question is, does our way work better than yours? If we are serious about winning the world we need the most effective and quickest ways (notice plural, we need to use all the ways we can!) of getting people to repent and believe in Jesus Christ. Heres a way you can test which is better... How many people have you lead to repentance and belief since February?

RAMMING IT DOWN

Oh! people say, you must be very careful, very judicious. You must not thrust religion down
people's throats. Then, I say, you will never get it down. What! Am I to wait till an unconverted,
godless man wants to be saved before I try to save him? He will never want to be saved till the death rattle is in his throat. What! Am I to let my unconverted friends and acquaintances drift down quietly to damnation, and never tell them about their souls, until they say, 'If you please, I want you to preach to me'? Is this anything like the spirit of early Christianity? No. Verily we must make them look--tear the bandages off, open their eyes, make them bear it, and if they run away from you in one place, meet them in another, and let them have no peace until they submit to God and get their souls saved. This is what Christianity ought to be doing in this land, and there are plenty of Christians to do it. Why, we might give the world such a time of it that they would get saved in very self-defence, if we were only up and doing, and determined that they should have no peace in their sins. Where is our zeal for the Lord? We talk of Old Testament saints, but I would we were all like David. Rivers of water ran down his eyes because men kept not the Law of his God. But you say, 'We cannot all hold services.' Perhaps not. Go as you like. Go as quietly and softly as the morning dew. Have meetings like the Friends if you like. ONLY DO IT. Don't let your relatives, and friends, and acquaintances die, and their blood be found on your skirts!!!
Catherine Booth - Founder of The Salvation Army
(Some would say that at this time The Salvation Army was the fastest growing Christian movement ever in world history!)

The Call to Preach

I look to the Bible to see what it says about a passion for souls. Where do people get their drive from? How do people get so filled with passion to see the lost saved? Paul said, "Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!" What an amazing testimony!

Heres a list that came to me through prayer...

We are called, commanded and compelled to preach the gospel.

Called - "Follow me and I will make you fishers of men!"
Commanded - "Go into all the world and preach the gospel!"
Compelled - "For I am compelled by Christs's love!"

Today I heard another list, from a guy in the house church movement in Asia, on where our calling to preach the gospel comes from...

Above - from God - Mark 16:15
Below - from hell - Luke 16:27-28
Inside - from our heart - 1 Corinthians 9:16-17
Outside - from others - Acts 16:9

Someone asked him, "Has the western church lost its passion for the lost?" He replied, "How many people have you lead to Christ lately?"

I'm challenged, how about you?

We did pubs again tonight which I love but I keep hearing something that disturbs me a bit. The phrase I keep hearing is, "I like the salvos, you dont ram religion down our throats." Now, I know alot of Christians would take that as a compliment, but I don't think it should be!

If anything it highlights how we don't preach anymore! It shows that people who are not saved yet know we are Christians and are saying I like you because you dont preach! And Paul says in Romans 10 that if no one preaches no one will hear, and if they dont hear they wont believe, if they dont believe they wont be saved.

It is sad that we dont preach the gospel anymore, and we can say "Ah, but we do preach, we preach with our words!" That is fine but again, look at Romans 10! We need to preach otherwise they cant hear and then believe and be saved!

What are we more interested in, souls or human gratification?

"My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power." 1 Corinthians 2:4

I always wonder what exactly Paul was referring to. Some say that he was referring to the power of Jesus on the cross, others say it is the power of Jesus in someones life for Salvation, and still others say that it was through signs and wonders etc.

Its interesting to note that Paul was in Athens just before he came to Corinth and he tried to argue persuasively and logically, he used reason and all those types of things but his results sucked. Not many were saved, no church was established and he was driven out of town... He then goes to Corinth and changes his tactic from wise and persuasuiveness to Holy Spirirt power and his results are stacks better.

I also find it interesting that in times of revival there is always an emphasis on the Spirits power in prayer, holiness and signs and wonders. I don't think its a coincidence...

Revival

But none of these world-embracing, epoch-making revivals began in a large way. Paul usually made an address and gave his testimony in a synagogue -- a small meeting-place of the Jews -- until he was excluded, and then he went up some home or room that was opened to him. This was followed by house-to-house visitation, often after a day's work at tentmaking. The Wesleys began in the same humble way, and so did the Founder. (W.Booth)

Great revivals among God's people and awakenings among the ungodly never begin in a great way. They begin as oak trees begin. There is nothing startling and spectacular about the beginning of an oak tree. In darkness, in loneliness, an acorn gives up its life, and the oak, at first only a tiny root and a tiny stem of green, is born out of the dissolution and death of the acorn. So
revivals are born, so souls are won, so the Kingdom of God comes. Some one, no longer trying to save himself or to advance his own interests, dies -- dies to self, to the world, to the praise of men, to the ambition for promotion, for place, for power, and lives unto Christ, lives to save men, and the awakening of sinners comes; souls are born into the kingdom of God, they rally round their leader and in turn become soul-winners. 'Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit,' said Jesus. And so He 'endured the cross, despising the shame,' and died that He might win souls, save men, and 'bring many sons unto glory.'

(Brengle, Ancient Prophets)

I don't know about you but I have a burden for the lost. Often the task "The World for God' seems way too big, and makes me feel like I am insignificant and need to find a greater way to lead more sinners to Jesus. This passage above is a great reminder to start small, stay humble, deny yourself, and to evangelise as many people as you can and that revival will come! Amen.

Testimonies

I have the video testimonies here but I havent been able to get them off the camera yet so stay tuned... In the mean time heres two from this weekend...

Friday Night: We had a two hour prayer meeting in an alley way followed by some evangelism. While a few of the boys were evangelising a man I sat back and prayed. A man walked past and I sais hi. He is a Christian man but he has had a bad back for 5 years. I prayed for him and in Jesus name he was healed! He was so impressed he started asking how he could join the Salvation Army! We encouraged him to stay close to Jesus and get back into reading the word of God!

Sunday Morning: We had a great day of worship and a great altar call for those to come to the front to be filled with the Holy Spirit. I saw a lady with hearing aids walk past me, I thought nothing of it until God said pray for her healing. I wasnt sure if it was God and if I should but then it came back and I obeyed. I layed hands on her ears and prayed. After all this she testified that she has never heard so clearly before in her life! She went home without her hearing aids in as she could hear!

We praise God for these. God still loves people, still heals, and loves to trandform lives. The man can now work, and the woman can now hear. Jesus has come to give life in its fulness! Praise Jesus!

ZEAL

True zeal makes one faithful to Jesus and the souls for whom He died. It led Paul during his three years' appointment at Ephesus "to warn everyone night and day with tears to serve the Lord with all humility," to keep back no truth that was profitable for the people, but to show them and teach them "publicly and from house to house, testifying both to the Jews and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ." (Acts 20.) He was not content simply to get sinners to accept Jesus as their Saviour, but taught them that "Christ in you is the hope of glory, whom we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus, whereunto I labor, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily." (Col. 27:29.) Paul was jealous for the perfection in love and loyalty of all his converts, and his zeal led him to seek with all his might to lead them all into this
blessed experience. And as was Paul, so also was Baxter, who labored indefatigably in spite of lifelong sickness, and at times almost in intolerable pain, for the perfection of his people. And so also was Wesley and Fox and General and Mrs. Booth, and so will be every soul-winner who is full of the zeal of God.
(Brengle, The Soul Winners Secret)

How cool would it be if we were all consumed by that zeal?

The Holy Guest

A friend of mine said recently, "I like the term, 'Holy Ghost,' for the word Ghost in the old Saxon was the same as the word for Guest." Whether that be so or not, it may certainly be said that the Holy Ghost is the Holy Guest. He has come into the world and visits every heart, seeking admittance as a guest. He may come to the soul unbidden, but He will not come in unbidden. He may be unwelcome. He may be refused admission and turned away. But He comes. He is in the world like Noah's dove, looking for an abiding-place. He comes as a Guest, but as an abiding one,
if received. He forces Himself upon no one. He waits for the open door and the invitation. (Samuel Logan Brengle – The Guest of the Soul)

SOME TIPS FOR INVITING THE HOLY GUEST INTO YOUR HEART:
Make sure the place is clean and tidy. To do this repent and renounce all your sin, then the Lord will apply the blood of Jesus to your heart and He will forgive you and cleanse you of all sin and unrighteousness!

Invite Him over to stay for ever. The Holy Guest is not interested in a stay for the sake for a holiday. The Holy Guest is looking for a permanent residence, a home so to speak. The Holy Guest does not come to entertain, but to convict, lead, and empower you to live life for God everyday!

Believe He will come! The Holy Guest will not respond to you unless you have faith. As we need faith to be saved from sin, as we need faith to be healed, we need faith for the Holy Guest to enter into our hearts. Faith is an invitation that He will not refuse! He wants us to be sure that we want Him to stay! As you believe He will enter.

I trust that you if you have not already, that you would seek the Holy Guest into your heart today.

HOLINESS AND ZEAL FOR SOULS

'Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men,' said Jesus to Peter and Andrew; and now
as then when Jesus saves a soul, that soul wants to catch men, wants to see others saved.

Holiness increases this desire, and makes it burn with a quenchless flame. The zeal of other people blazes up, burns low, and often dies out, but the zeal of a man with a clean heart, full of the Holy Ghost, increases year by year. Others run away from the prayer-meeting, but he holds on. Others do not grieve if souls are not saved, but he feels that he must see souls saved, or die. Others are zealous for 'big goes,' tea parties, ice-cream suppers, and musical festivals, but nothing pleases him so much as a prayer-meeting where souls are crying to God for pardon and cleansing, and others are shouting for joy.
Brengle (The Way of Holiness)

I can honestly testify that I was once drifting away from God. I knew He was there, and I prayed, I believed but He didnt have all of me. I guess a better way of saying it is that I was numb, I wasnt in the know, I didnt really have a passion. But then one night I prayed and prayed and prayed for the Holy Spirit to fall upon me and to fill me and overfill me! And He did! That night my arms which I had raised up in worship would not stop shaking for four hours! BUT that was only a sign of what was happening in my heart. The Holy Spirit flooded my heart with love, and a zeal for the lost. Whenever I went to work I wanted to preach the gospel! Whenever I was on a tram I looked for opportunities to preach the gospel! And my life which lacked in passion and purpose completely changed. My life was and still is committed to leading people to Christ. And Hallelujah I have that awesome privilige so often!

When people ask me how to evangelise from now on, Im going to tell them that story. Because true evangelism has its roots in the love of God filling our hearts and flowing out. Have you been baptised in love by the Holy Spirit? If you havent why not pray now that God would fill you with His love and that that would overflow in all your human relationships! Remember He said, "I am the Lord your God who makes you holy!"

BURDEN FOR THE LOST

Its been ages since Ive last blogged! I will try to blog 3 times a week but things just keep popping up!

Heres a cool quote from the Australian War Cry April 12 1913 which I have copied from Journal of Aggressive Christianity...

Men are dying - Women are perishing - Children are damned in their tender years!

Can you contemplate the ruin of immortal souls without horror?

If your heart is not stirred by the world sin and sorrow pray God to give you a vision!

I've heard people say that the reason why William Booth was such a great evangelist was becasue of two things, his love for people and his belief in hell... Ask God to give you a vision...