A study in true and false evangelism.

God created it to show his standard of living; Jesus did it when talking to people, even the apostle Paul preached it. In fact, it is what the book of Romans, is all about. The law! The Ten Commandments, in which God made it very clear how everybody should live their lives, both Jews and gentiles.

Now, here is a short history lesson, most likely one, which you will not receive at church. Up until the 20^th century preachers and evangelists alike, had all used the Ten Commandments when reaching out to sinners. And even the bible tells us the purpose of using the law, as in Psalms 19:7 “The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul.”

[NIV: New international version Bible] (Bold, added for emphasis.)

It is true that this has to some extent become known as “fire and brimstone” preaching, but in actuality it is the most sound biblical way of doctrine. The late Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892) said this about the law; “our ablest auxiliary,” meaning our greats weapon, for its purpose is the bring conviction the heart of the sinner. Leaving him wanting and in desperate need of the Saviour. Making Jesus that more glorious and grace so much more amazing.

But in the last 50 or so years, the church has turned the gospel from its original path, unto a road of preaching only that Jesus died for everyone’s sins, but omitting repentance, telling people that if they receive Christ, their lives will become better. This makes Jesus a life improvement, when in actuality He is a life necessity, and herein leis the danger for preaching such a fallible message of salvation, it produces false conversions in our churches. And makes the gospel man centred, instead of God centred.

The gospel is truly made into “the good news,” when it is put in contrast with the holy law of God. For it in turn shows us that, no man is good, but God alone is good. Scripture says; “The only “goodness,” or righteousness, that the believer has comes from Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 3:9). And the bible goes on to say that; without Christ, man is corrupt and filthy; “there is none that does good, no, not one” (Psalm 14:3). Now in light of this, lets take another look at the law, for the Apostle Paul said this about the nature of the law in Romans 7:7 “What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "Do not covet." Paul clearly explains here how he had not known what sin was, until the law of God, was put in front of him.

But let’s once again return to the modern version of the “gospel,” which promises the sinner, hope, love joy, and happiness, in turn for salvation. This is a false statement, for though these are legitimate fruit of salvation, they are not legitimate tools for salvation. The only way to be saved is through repentance and turning to Jesus Christ. But the problem with modern church is that they use the fruits of salvation to lure in people, without disclosing what sin is, or the need for repentance. And then when the hardships and tribulations come, instead of clinging to Jesus, the false convert drifts away from God, and back into the world. For the promise that had been given, wasn’t true, and things didn’t get better, only worse. And the difference between the world and Christianity become similarities.

But when using the righteous law of God as a mirror to reflect the sinful nature of men, and true wickedness is revealed, therein will repentance spring forth.

The modern church offers heaven as an escape, but rarely if ever, talks about the realities of hell. In fact, Jesus spoke more about hell then he did about heaven. In Matthew alone there are seven references to hell, in Mark three times, Luke two, James once, and in 2 Peter once. And these are just to mention a few instances. And sadly its where many will end up, because of the lack of repentance. “But God is love, he’ll never send me there, I’ve done so much good!” A more false statement has never been claimed. Because overall, God is righteous and just, and He despises sin. The bible tells us that He is a God of wrath and you will have your day in court, on the day of judgement where all your sins will be bared. Let’s just look at this from a civil law, point of view. A murderer is set before a judge, awaiting his sentence, and in his closing statement the murder pleads with the judge; “I’m sorry your honour, I promise I’ll never do it again!” Is the judge then to say “Ok, you’re free to go.”? No! For then he is a corrupt judge, but he is bound by law to strike down with the full conviction of the law, to sentence the murderer.

The same goes for us sinner and God, for we have broken God’s holy law, and made enemies with him. The bible explains that when we are sinners, we’re in war with God, and the only way to make peace with God, is to repent, receive atonement through the blood of Jesus Christ, and seek God. (John 3:16-18)

The father of reformation, Martin Luther, said the about the law;

‘I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came,

sin revived’ (Romans 7:9). So it is with the work-righteous and the

proud unbelievers. Because they do not know the Law of God, which 

is directed against them, it is impossible for them to know their sin.

Therefore also they are not amenable to instruction. If they would

know the Law, they would also know their sin; and sin to which 

they are now dead would become alive in them.”

But redemption is only found in He who didn’t know sin, whom became sin on the cross of Calvary, through the love of the Father. Jesus Christ! In order that the dying and hell bound would see the glory of the Creator. For it is not His will to let any one to be eternally damned to hell. He wants you soundly saved that was the act of love shown on the terrible, yet, wonderful cross.

1 Corinthians 13

The Love of God

1Co 13:1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

We can speak in tongues or speak great words but if we do not do it in love then we are just making a lot of noise. We need to chose our words carefully and speak them in love.

1Co 13:2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

If we can prophesy and understand the things that God shows us and know everything there is about the Word of God and creation and all of life and have as much faith as we can have but do not have love for each other then it is useless.

1Co 13:3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

Even if we are doing all kinds of good things for others and go through persecution for what we do but we do not do it with love it is nothing.

1Co 13:4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

Love puts up with a lot of things and is kind, it does not show jealousy, it does not think highly of its self and show off. It is quiet about everything it does.

1Co 13:5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

Love does not disrespect others and behave in ways that may offend others. It does not seek to get outward gratification from others. It is not easily made upset by things and does not think wronly about others.

1Co 13:6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

Love does not enjoy wrong doings and lies but rejoices in the truth of all things good and right.

1Co 13:7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

Love will help us carry one another's burdens willingly. Love believes each other in what we say and hopes that everything is alright. Love lasts through the hard times and the easy, the troubled times and the joyous times.

1Co 13:8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

Love does not fail us or each other. Because where the prophecies are, they will fail us, where there are tongues, they will stop, all the knowledge in the world will just disappear.

1Co 13:9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

What we know right now is only part of what God has for us.

1Co 13:10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

When Jesus returns for us everything that we know parts of will be done away with completely.

1Co 13:11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

When we are new in the faith we speak as new converts and ask all kinds of questions and understand things explained simply and think simple things but as we mature we put away the simple things and start eating the meat of the Word.

1Co 13:12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

Right now we do not understand things clearly. It is like looking through a dark window but when we meet our God face to face it will be clear. We only know part of God we do not fully know Him but in the end we will know God as He knows us.

1Co 13:13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity

Now there is Faith, Hope and Love but the greatest of these is Love.

God showed us His love by sending His son to die in our place for our sins. The Law of God shows us how we have sinned and the cross of Christ shows us the way to receive eternal life. God wants to welcome you into His family. Repent and turn from our wickedness. Run to the cross. Jesus is waiting to welcome you today.

Lets Go Into Battle

Onto The Battlefield

We have put on our armor and picked up our weapons, now it is time to go out onto the battlefield. It is just as much a battlefield as the physical ones that are around us today. It is the battle for lost souls. We need to use every part of our armor to protect us from the devil and we need to use our weapons against his lies. 1 Peter 5:8 tells us about our enemy, Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:. We need to know our enemy. He was once an angel in heaven and he knows the scripture inside and out but fears it.

Satan will use the scripture against us in any way he can. He used it against Jesus in the desert in Luke chapter 4:1-13; 1 And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,

2 Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.

3 And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.

4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.

5 And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.

6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.

7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.

8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

9 And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence:

10 For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee:

11 And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

12 And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

13 And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.

We need to approach lost souls with humbleness but with the power and might of the Law. Our sword is to be used against our enemy and we are to be prepared with the footwear of truth with all prayer we are to go out and proclaim Gods word and teach the lost about Gods grace through the use of His Law and let them go running to the cross in repentance.

Judgment day is coming and we will all be judged for our sins. We must reach out to as many as we can while we can because God does not want anyone to perish in the lake of fire. John3:16-18 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. Let's go out into the battlefield and use our whole arsenal of weapons against the enemy and defeat him.

The Weapons For Battle

The Weapons For The Battle

We have our armor on and are ready to do battle. What weapons do we take with us? We need to equip ourselves with the weapons that will help us win the battle. This is not a normal battle we are heading into. We cannot use conventional weapons for this battle. We learn a bit about our weapons in 2 Corinthians 10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;). We have the mightiest weapons to go into battle.

We have God as our battle axe and our weapons. Jeremiah 51:20 states, Thou art my battle axe and weapons of war: for with thee will I break in pieces the nations, and with thee will I destroy kingdoms;.

The battle axe is a very formidable weapon used in close contact battle. It is a type of hammer which is used to break down strongholds.

We also have the sword of the Lord. The sword is the Word of God. It is used to divide right from wrong. Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Another weapon we have at our disposal is prayer. Prayer is our greatest weapon to be used against the devil. James 5:15 tells about salvation and healing through prayer, And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. It is through knowledge of the Law and through prayer that we can show others the way to the cross. We are in a battle for the mind. We are to constantly be in prayer for the salvation of the lost.

The final and the most powerful weapon we have is the Law of God. When we show the lost the error of their ways through the Law of God then we have the devil on the run. We need to use this Law which is the made for the sinner. 1 Timothy 1:9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,. We need to show the lost the Law so that they understand that we deserve hell and that is exactly what we will get on the day of judgment. Only by the grace of God will we be able to enter the kingdom of heaven.

If we use these weapons correctly then we will win the war for the soul of the lost. With our armor on we are to use these weapons to put flight to the evil one and defeat him so he will have no power over us.

Prepare For The Battle

Prepare For The Battle

We are in a war zone. The war that is being waged is for our souls and for the souls of countless others who do not know Jesus. We are being prepared to do battle with not the flesh and blood but with the evil one and his minions. This is spoken about in Ephesians 6:12, For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. They are trying any thing and every thing to try to get as many people to stay or stray away from God as he possibly can. Our enemy wanders here and there looking for someone who he can pounce on like a big cat does on an unsuspecting antelope. In 1 Peter 5:8 it says Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. Here God is admonishing us to be sober, have our wits about us, and be vigilant, watching closely, because we are being stalked by the devil.

We need to prepare ourselves for this battle. We need to go out and and be sure that we have on the whole armor of God. Ephesians 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand the evil day, and having done all, to stand. We are then told what this armor is. Lets go through each part of this armor piece by piece. Firstly we are told in Ephesians 6:14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; Here we are told to wrap our loins or our lower bodies with truth. This truth comes from the knowledge of the Law of God. Know how we are going to be attacked. Satan will attack us concerning each of the laws of the ten commandments. We need to establish the fact that we know the law and that we can do battle with the truth.

Next in that verse it talks about the breastplate of righteousness. Cover our chest and heart with Gods righteousness. We receiver righteousness through faith. The breastplate guards us against the charges of the enemy. Our heart is a vital organ so we must protect it. The breastplate is a security from all wrath and condemnation.

In Ephesians 6:15 it reads, And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; We want to go to other with a peaceful demeanor. Being slow to anger and not distressed. We need to be prepared to face anything that the devil can throw at us. We need to be prepared to preach the Law so that the sinner goes running to the cross. To be prepared with truth means to have a firm and grounded knowledge of what we are teaching.

Ephesians 6:16 reads, Above all taking the shield of faith, wherein ye shall be able to quench the fiery darts of the wicked. This shield is a large part of the armor It is large enough to cover the whole body. Faith, in this place, must mean that evidence of things unseen which every genuine believer has, that God, for Christ’s sake, has blotted out his sins, and by which he is enabled to call God his Father, and feel him to be his portion. The shield is used to stop the fiery darts, the accusations, of the wicked.

This brings us to our head protection. Ephesians 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Here the helmet is pretty self explanatory. We need to have our lives right with God and have our salvation worked out with fear and trembling. We need to know that we know that we know that we are saved by grace through faith. The best way to know beyond any doubt is to use the sword. The Word of God is so sharp it will cut us to the core and show us that we are all sinners in that we have all transgressed God's Law but through the grace of the cross we have gained our salvation. When battling against the devil we need to know the word and keep it close to us. Gods word is the only way to put the devil to flight.

The next verse, Ephesians 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; This admonishes us to pray at all times and to keep watch at all times because we never know when the enemy will attack.

If we put on the whole armor of God then we will have the victory over the enemy. Even when we feel that we are failing, if we have the whole armor on, we will come out the other side shining for our Lord.

We need to encourage each other to put this armor on daily and to fight the good fight in faith that we will come out triumphant.

Salvation Foundation

It is only when we know how we have sinned that we can actually appreciate what Jesus did for us on the Cross. We learn the truth about our sins through the Law of God in the ten commandments. We need only look into two or three of them to see that we are terrible sinners and deserve to go to hell. If we have told any falsehood or even the smallest "little white lie". we are liars. If we have ever picked up a candy in the grocery store and eaten it without paying for it, we are a thief. Just the slightest glance at the opposite sex with yearning in our hearts makes us adulterers. That one slip of the tongue where we use the Lords name as a cuss word makes us blasphemers. That is only 4 of the ten commandments we have broken and each of those broken commandments carries a sentence of eternal separation from God and an eternity in hell. In James 2:10 we learn that even if we only break one of God's Laws we are guilty of breaking them all. For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

The fact that God is Holy and Just means that on the day of judgment He must sentence us to an eternity in hell because we have sinned against Him. That is the reason for Jesus and the Cross. So that we do not have to be sentenced to eternal damnation.

Jesus went through all the pain and agony of being whipped with the cat-of-nine-tails, carrying his cross, the nails through his hands and his feet, being dropped into the hole for the cross, which resulted in every bone being shaken out of place, the spear in his side. He did this for each every one of us. He never promised that we would have a wonderful life. We go through trials and troubles throughout our whole lives. That is normal. That is what is creating us to be more like Him. The only way to eternity with Him is through Jesus and the cross. We have to repent of our sins and turn from our wicked ways, and have Jesus, as the ultimate price, for our sins, acknowledge us infront of His Father(Matt. 10:32-33). And  put our full trust in Him and aks Him to teach us His ways, while we strive for humbleness by the foot of the cross. That is the ONLY way to escape the eternal fire of hell. There is no easy way to heaven. 

I pray that this blog touches each one who reads it and that God convicts them to repent or if you have already repented and invited Jesus to be your Lord and Saviour that it stirs up in you an urgency to spread the word of God's Law and His Grace towards us with others.

God Bless all who read this. May He touch you life in ways that you cannot understand.

Welcome to Team Firestarters1229

We are a group of evangelists from Denmark and Canada united in proclaiming the gospel to the nations. "We practice what we preach," so to speak. On a weekly basis, our team, hit the streets, doing both one-2-one, tract handouts, and Open Air preaching.

The tools used, are the ones used altroughout the bible... Law and Grace!! We use the law (the ten commandments) which speaks to the conscience of men (Romans 7:9)(Galatians 3:24) following by showing sinners the ultimate price paid for them by grace on the cross of calvary.

We hope to be able to encourage the saved and reach the lost with this blog. 

Welcome on board!

Team Firestarter1229