Featured Evangelism

Oh, I've been following it. God does have a wonderful plan for your life. I won't put words into Bob's mouth nor yours but where I see your objection is the use of the word everyone. I don't believe he uses the word to include those who never come to Christ. Perhaps the better way to phrase it would be God has a wonderful plan for His elect or God has a wonderful plan for whosoever will depending, of course, on your persuasion.

 

Just got back from York Springs, PA. We saw 14 people pray to ask Jesus to be their Savior! What an awesome night. God is Great!

 

I do not get into arguments. I have scoffers yes, but so does anyone that stands true to the word. The crowds that followed Jesus were not his true disciples and they turned from Him at his hard saying in John 6:60ff as they were not true disciples but only followed him because they wanted to be entertained and they wanted miracles. This may sound like the kind of converts that these fairs produce if repentance from sin, and the hard sayings of the Cross are not emphasized.

 

Was repentance from sin, and the Lordship of Christ emphasized?

 

I'm not the kind of person who can just go up to people and talk to them. Even when I need to, even something like making a withdrawal at the bank, I hate doing it. I'm shy.

What I tend to do is get to know people and we may talk about God as we spend time together or something like that.
Giving out gospel tracts is a good idea, and my mom is always giving them out.
I participate in outreach attempts whenever possible--and I love that my church has such opportunities--though I prefer to stay in the background and contribute there.
I've been able to witness to people over the internet before, in being questioned about my faith and online discussions.

 

Was reading a book with lots of quotes from Charles Spurgeon last night. This is what he would call the downward Controversy and man based entertainment evangelism. It produces results and so people will continue to use it and relying on Pragmatism more than on the word of God alone.

 

You might want to try this method. George was a Vietnam vet with part of him still in Saigon. Folks stayed away from George because he was a tad jumpy, if you know what I'm saying. George was also a dairy farmer.

I stopped to see George one sunny day in February but he wasn't in much of a mood for talking. George was spreading manure and the apron chain broke on the spreader. I told George if he'd give me time to go home and change I'd help him fix his spreader.

It was about 20 degrees out, snow on the ground and one part George left out was the spreader broke before he got to spreading. We talked as we worked and George said he did his time in hell in Vietnam. I told him he was going to be in for a big surprise. George has been serving the Lord faithfully for almost 20 years now.

Proven effective 100% of the time it is used - The Badger Method - named for the make of manure spreader I laid under telling George about Jesus.

 

DO you know how many one liners can ..... Ahhhh yea ya do:laugh:

 

I'm sorry to hear that. 14 people bought into a false gospel.

 

Yes, that horrible easy believism! Imagine 14 folks getting saved in one day. Who has ever heard of such a thing?

 

Just because someone made a request to be saved does not mean they were saved.

Faith is an inner conviction, a full assurance, a confident expectation. When directed at the death and resurrection of Christ, who bore our sins, our faith is credited as righteousness.

But faith, when directed at the answering of a prayer, is futile and altogether in vain.

It is a false hope, built in a false premise. Sorry, brother. I asked and asked and asked, for 20 years....and the whole time knew nothing of Christ and His cross. But boy howdy, could I beg for Jesus to come into my heart.

Of course, I believed the facts about His death. But I did not know He rose bodily, or that He is the Word of God made flesh, I denied the bodily resurrection of believers. And i thought saying a prayer for salvation was just one item on a list of works i had to perform to be saved. But i could sure say that prayer

And i thought "saved" meant to be placed in a position to either obey God and go to heaven, or not obey God and go to hell. To me, salvation was an entrance into a works covenant. But boy, could i say that prayer.

There is absolutely a difference between faith in Christ and faith in a prayer. They are in no way synonymous. That prayer requires zero understanding of the gospel.

If i could have been saved by saying a prayer, one of those 600-800 times i said it would have surely been adequate. But when actually believed upon Christ, and His death and resurrection, it left me speechless.


So yes. It is unfortunate that 14 people were given a false hope. Just pray they hang around some believer long enough to actually learn the gospel.

 

If a person sincerely asks Jesus to save them, and depends on Jesus alone, they are saved. Jesus has promised that no one who comes to him shall be cast out for any reason.

Jhn 6:37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

I don't believe in this "maybe Jesus will save me" that Van believes. Jesus always keeps his promises.

Saving faith is casting one's self on Jesus in utter dependence, as the publican did in Luke 18;

Luk 18:9 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

The Pharisee had all sorts of confidence he was saved, and he was as lost as a turkey on Thankgiving. The publican was humble, he did not have great confidence, but he cast himself on God and his mercy and was saved.

This is quite different from most folks' experience. Most folks are clearly taught they are sinners, that Jesus Christ was the Son of God who lived a sinless life and died for their sins, and that he rose the third day, and that if we trust him to save us, he will.

You are basing everything on your personal experience which was quite unique.

OK, again you were not taught the real gospel. And that is always a danger. But when people hear the true gospel and call on Jesus to save them, if they mean it, Jesus saves them.

I get tired of hearing this. I have never met anyone who believes saying a prayer is some magic incantation like "abracadabra" that saves them. No, most folks fully realize they are praying directly to Jesus in heaven and asking him personally to save them. I got saved when I was 10 years old and knew very little about the scriptures, but I knew I was praying directly to Jesus and asking him personally to save me. And he did save me right there and then.

Again, you are equating "easy believism" with your personal experience. If I remember correctly, your mother was very religious, but mixed up in all sorts of various belief systems. Unfortunately, you were exposed to lots of false doctrine. This is not most people's experience. I was never involved in anything like that.

You do not know that, and it is very negative to assume the worst. If they were told the true gospel and truly asked Jesus to save them, they are saved.

Would you have believed the 3000 folks that got saved and baptized in one day on Pentacost? I don't think you would, but the scripture tells us these people really got saved.

I don't mean to be critical, but you seem to be very bitter. Don't let your bad experience bleed over and cloud your judgment.

Getting saved is EASY for us. It really is. But Jesus had to give everything to save us.

 

No one knows for sure of that.

 

Despite all its problems, God can bring the elect to salvation via this method, but its not Biblical.

 

Many of his quotes are in a certain book of mine, and this book speaks no positives of anyone trying to dumb down the gospel in an effort to entertain people into heaven.

 

A quote for you

Bob, padredurand, John C, WinMan and others read this quote.

Pragmatism

The book above is a good one with all the scripture references, the quotations by Spurgeon, BB Warfield, and other solid teachers of the past. So lets take a look at the passages the author cites and see if they are Biblical or not, or if I am just worshipping a book as some will claim.
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1 Thes 3:2-6 (NIV)
We sent Timothy, who is our brother and co-worker in God’s service in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, 3 so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. For you know quite well that we are destined for them. 4 In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted. And it turned out that way, as you well know. 5 For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the tempter had tempted you and that our labors might have been in vain.

Timothy’s Encouraging Report
6 But Timothy has just now come to us from you and has brought good news about your faith and love. He has told us that you always have pleasant memories of us and that you long to see us, just as we also long to see you.

2 Cor 5:11-20 (NKJV)
11 Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences.

Be Reconciled to God
12 For we do not commend ourselves again to you, but give you opportunity to boast on our behalf, that you may have an answer for those who boast in appearance and not in heart. 13 For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; or if we are of sound mind, it is for you. 14 For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; 15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.

16 Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
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I wonder if Bob and others that practice an entrainment form of evangelism tell people that they may or will be persecuted for their faith. I wonder if they tell others that they may be killed, may get fired, may file bankruptcy, and that satan and his servants would attack them. Those that openly stand for the gospel will be persecuted. But those that practice an entertainment based evangelism that DOES NOT confront the sin and the destination of the world will be ignored by the world.

PS- Even my spouse whom is not a CAL but an Arminian soul winner see's a problem with the evangelism methods of Bob.

 

Yeah, when people share the gospel they should lead off with hell fire, damnation, attacks from Satan, persecution and threat of death!

Why are you so judgmental?! Bob's church had a family friendly get together, get to know our church function on a Friday night. The petting zoo and moon bounce activities were simply a way to get to meet people. You have NO IDEA what they said to the visitors.

Congratulations, you're both wrong.