Gospel to the Dying

Yes, I stole the title from my friends Steve and Gerdine Stanley who are working as missionaries in Papua New Guinea. I highly recommend their blog which documents daily life in the jungle with three small children. 

However, today’s post was a heart breaking reminder for me and, I assume other readers, of the urgency of the Gospel. The team are not yet at the point where they are ready to communicate the Good News to the Kovol tribe, but they are progressing. Now, limited medical capabilities exhausted, they have a woman literally wasting away in front of them and obviously at death’s door. What should they do? I’ll let you read their post for the tragic outcome.

As many of you know, I’ve been in hibernation for a month or so recovering from a major operation. I re-entered society at the Open-Air Mission’s supporters conference about 10 days ago. A good number gathered to hear about the evangelism taking place across our country on a daily basis. I love this conference as it’s so encouraging to hear about the work and to catch up with people with a  real heart for evangelism. 

OAM is growing and has been able to employ several new evangelists in recent years. However, there are still large areas of the UK without a preacher which according to Romans 10 means that they cannot hear and be saved. I encourage you to consider joining a team event to learn more about the work.

I spoke to an older man recently who said that he had previously been involved in street evangelism and didn’t really know why he had stopped. Another man asked if I was “hanging around" in Reading to be involved in Franklin Graham’s crusade assuming that an organised mass-attended Christian event would be an attraction that I wouldn’t want to miss. 

I’m sure the crusade was well attended and, having just read Franklin’s autobiography, I know his priority is the sharing of the Gospel, but the point is that we have moved away from going out to where the people are and are instead expecting them to come to us. The transition is odd in that culturally society has gone the other way; people are less and less likely to want to attend an event in a church.

I meet a lot of Christians who have never heard of the Open-Air Mission or United Beach Missions (the main two organisations I’m involved with who do this type of ministry). Some churches won’t consider getting involved as they feel it is ineffective, old-fashioned or disrespectful to "shout at people in the street". Another friend told me recently about prison ministry where they aren’t allowed to proselytise!

There is a general feeling that we’ve moved on to more modern methods involving friendship evangelism. Again, there’s a place for this, but only if we are really willing to have that uncomfortable conversation with someone we’ve already befriended…and it doesn't negate the need for a more overt witness.

DL Moody once told a critic: “It is clear you don’t like my way of doing evangelism. You raise some good points. Frankly, I sometimes do not like my way of doing evangelism. But I like my way of doing it better than your way of not doing it.”

The covid pandemic woke a lot of people up to their own mortality as they saw loved ones die and were unable even to say their proper goodbyes. The public enquiry  is seeking to learn lessons for the future but all it will do is create a situation where we continue to put plasters on a major wound when the person is dying of sepsis. Now, we are seeing people dying in desperate situations in the wars in Ukraine and Israel/Gaza. Matthew Perry, a major sitcom star in the US died this week at the age of 54.

In all of these situations and others, people’s comments reflect the terrible and widespread deception of the devil; “At least they’re at peace now”, “He’s free from his suffering”, “They’re no longer in pain”, and “She’s in a better place”.

Perhaps, the lie that everyone will get to Heaven has even permeated Christian thinking to the extent that we don’t sense the urgency any more. Collectively, we aren't rushing to share the Gospel with these people as they take their last breath, whereas just a hundred years ago we have a story from the Titanic of a dying man frantically swimming in icy waters seeking to offer eternal hope to the lost.  

Sadly, in most of these cases, there is no evidence of saving faith. Matthew Perry had some sort of spiritual experience a few years ago where he asked a Higher Power for help to stop his addictions. Yet, just a few weeks ago he said he wasn’t religious and his focus was on helping other people that were going through what he had been through. Accepting that only God truly knows the heart, maybe the Christians who claim he was a believer are grasping at straws, seeking to reassure themselves as the alternative is too horrifying to contemplate.

If we are losing our grip on reality and what the Bible really teaches about death, it might be a good idea to remind ourselves. A person is only saved through faith in Jesus and his death for them on the cross. Believing that he died for them leads to repentance from sin, forgiveness of sin and a changed life, with God’s help. Only those who have trusted in Jesus go to Heaven forever, not because they have done anything good, but because Jesus lived a perfect life on their behalf. Everybody else will go to Hell to be punished for their sin. Salvation is a free gift available to anyone who will repent and trust in Jesus.

Christians, let’s refocus our lives and ensure our main mission is to reach others with the Good News of salvation before it’s too late for them. When we hear of someone dying, let’s take courage and pray for a way to reach them, then go and deliver the Message. We don’t have the excuse that there is a language barrier and even if there is, we have tools that can overcome this in the Western world.

On a side note, if you don’t know where to start and your church leaders can’t help, my new book Evangelism is Exciting! has some ideas. All royalties are reinvested in the work of sharing the Gospel and I’m always happy to receive comments and feedback.

Don't Let Disappointment Turn Into Bitterness

My church appears to be under spiritual attack. In the last few months we’ve lost people suddenly, had some people hospitalised and others are awaiting test results. This week, half of the members went down with covid so we’ve been forced to postpone our Spring Supper outreach event. It all feels a bit bewildering and has got to the stage where every time I receive an email I’m almost afraid to open it because I’m wondering what has happened now.

We all experience disappointment in life in one form or another; the relationship that failed, the promotion that was given to someone else, the injury that caused us to miss out on a trophy, the person who seemed to be a friend but proved untrustworthy. More significantly; the death of a loved one, the loss of a livelihood, the child born with disabilities, the diagnosis of a terminal illness. The list is endless.

It may be stating the obvious, but anyone who has been a Christian for any length of time will tell you that they have experienced just as much pain and suffering as the non-believer living down the road. Sometimes, more.

The problem is that, whether we recognise it or not, a lot of our theology has been shaped by the prosperity gospel; God wants us to be healthy, wealthy and happy and to live our best life now. So, when this is not our experience, we subconsciously feel that we must have done something wrong, or that God doesn’t love us, or has abandoned or forgotten us. Instead of remembering that the Christian life is a daily battle, we wonder “why me?”

We feel that we cannot voice our disappointment with God as Christians aren’t meant to have such feelings, so we internalise it and in time it can make us bitter and angry.

Recently, I was listening to a sermon and the preacher told an incredible story about two Swedish missionary families that had gone to serve in a remote location in the Congo. When they arrived, the tribes people were extremely hostile and refused to even let them speak, let alone settle amongst them. One family gave up and moved somewhere less remote. The remaining couple with their small child were forced to build a mud hut, outside the area, in the jungle. The only concession from the tribes people was that a young boy could bring them eggs and chickens every so often. During his visits, the wife shared the Gospel with this young boy who, after some time, made a profession of faith.

Shortly after giving birth to their second child, the wife died from an illness leaving the husband with an apparently fruitless ministry and two small children in the middle of nowhere. He gave up, took the newborn baby (Aggie) to the original missionary family and left her with them. He returned to Sweden with the toddler and walked away from the faith completely refusing even to allow God’s name to be mentioned in his presence. He married his wife’s sister, who wasn’t a believer, and had four additional children, then became an alcoholic and developed diabetes. The missionary couple that had fostered Aggie also died in a suspected poisoning so she was handed to a childless couple who happened to be visiting at the time.

This sad story would be seriously depressing if it ended here.

The couple later adopted Aggie and she went on to marry and have her own children. One day, she received a copy of a magazine from an anonymous sender in the post. There was a picture of a gravestone in the Congo and she recognised her mothers name. Reading the article, she discovered that the little boy who her mother had witnessed to had founded a Christian school in his village and had shared the Gospel with many others. There were now 600 believers in that area alone!

Aggie decided that she had to share this news with the now ailing father who had abandoned her. She went to his bedside and when she started to speak about God he cut her off stating that God had deserted him in the jungles of the Congo all those years before. She persisted and told him about the little boy and the many converts. Hearing this, he turned back to God then died a few weeks later.

Hearing this story, many things went through my mind. Humanly speaking, the whole thing seems impossible. What if the little boy hadn’t understood the message, or hadn’t cared enough to tell anyone, or hadn’t been the type to assert himself, or had died at a young age? Any of these things would have been possibilities, maybe even likelihoods, without God orchestrating events.

What of the man who, having started well, had allowed his disappointment and grief to turn to bitterness turning his back on God until his final days. What of his second wife and the children he had raised as a non-believer angry with God. What a tragic waste.

We can almost find ourselves feeling sorry for this man and thinking that his reaction is understandable. He had given up everything to serve God on a foreign field and as well as the rejection by the natives, God had allowed him to be stripped of everything that was important to him. It was only when, years later, God in His mercy revealed that the pain and suffering had not all been purposeless, that he repented of his bitterness.

It’s worth asking ourselves whether our faith would stand up to these tests. Will we serve God when our ministry appears fruitless, when we face one setback after another, or even when we face serious persecution?

I’m not wanting to minimise the suffering in our nation, but for some perspective, I’ve just read In God’s Underground by Richard Wurmbrand, a pastor in Communist Romania who was imprisoned for many years and tortured for his faith. The violence is described in graphic and horrifying detail so don’t rush out and buy it if you are sensitive.

When we face disappointments, we should acknowledge them and allow ourselves time to grieve the loss of a person, opportunity or ministry. We can ask God the why questions but we may not get an answer (Job didn’t). We may need extra support, encouragement and help from our church family for a while, or maybe longer.

However, we mustn’t allow our disappointments to turn to bitterness and fester in our soul damaging our relationship with God. This is the devil’s ultimate goal, he doesn’t just want to cause a Christian pain, or make them suffer on Earth, he wants to cause them to doubt God and to destroy their faith completely leading to eternal torment. The spiritual battle is real and we must be ready to fight even when things seem impossible, or circumstances threaten to overwhelm us.

Imagine dealing with all these difficulties as a non-believer. Then, the suffering is pointless with no hope even in death.

As believers, God promises never to leave or forsake us. He is with us in the disappointments of life that will inevitably come our way. Let’s persevere and keep trusting Him in the knowledge that we have eternal life in Heaven to look forward to!

Why Christians Should Not Have Gone Silent in the Case of Enoch Burke

I’m sure I don’t need to further identify the title character who has now somehow reached the dizzying heights of headlines in most of the UK news media. Enoch Burke has become a household name being ridiculed by most but admired, mostly quietly, by some who are probably just glad they haven’t ended up in the same situation.

It might seem funny to create St Patrick's Day floats and design Mother’s Day cards with cartoon images of Burke forlornly standing outside the school from which he has now been dismissed, but this is a family man and an evangelical Christian who, despite the devastating consequence, has chosen to stand up for what he believes is right.

For those who haven’t kept up, the bizarre set of circumstances that has now resulted in Burke not only being sacked as a teacher but also imprisoned and subject to an ever increasing daily fine, began last year when he refused to call a “transgender” child by their preferred pronouns. Quite rightly, Burke stated that he was unable to comply because such an action conflicted with his Christian beliefs.

You might have thought that, at this stage, the principal of the school would take some time to consider the wisest way forward as even a simpleton knows that gender/sex and religion are both protected from discrimination under the Equality and Human Rights Act.

 Instead, he was immediately suspended, an action which would usually only occur if keeping someone in a workplace caused an unacceptable risk of further harm. Another reason might be to prevent someone tampering with evidence or to prevent them interfering with the investigation. None of these apply to this scenario which leads to the conclusion that no investigation was intended and the decision had been made to dismiss him immediately without due process. (I’m sure this aspect will be picked up and challenged when the furore dies down.)

So far, nothing particularly spectacular as sadly we are seeing daily reports of Christians being suspended, then sacked in similar situations across the UK. It’s worth mentioning that many of these people have later received compensation or been reinstated, usually after lengthy court battles, but the emotional damage is catastrophic for the individuals and their families.

In many ways, I’m grateful that my own small scrape with the politically correct brigade took place 15 years ago when gay and transgender rights didn’t trump all others; my police force did drag me through a disciplinary procedure but didn’t suspend me. For the full story you can read Planet Police.

Enoch Burke, however, wasn’t going to meekly take his unfair punishment; despite the suspension, he turned up at the school daily insisting on his “right to work”. The school obtained a court order banning him from the premises, he continued his protest, was arrested and then imprisoned for contempt of court. His brother has now also been arrested for a public order offence after protesting at one of his appeal hearings. What a muddle….but is he right?

I don’t think we can be dogmatic one way or the other about Burke’s response to his suspension. If he honestly believes that God has placed him in that workplace and he is taking a stand for something that conflicts with his beliefs, then it is a conscience issue for him. You could say that the disciples, whose work was preaching the Gospel, refused to stop in order to obey God rather than men. They too were imprisoned and many were martyred for their faith.

However, Christians can and should be dogmatic about the original cause of the suspension. We should challenge cultural pressure that seeks to force us to sin; to lie and state that a girl is actually a boy or a man a woman. We shouldn’t withdraw from the debate, hide away or stay silent when Christian freedoms are at stake.  

Health professionals are being forced to change patient records when they change gender which is actually the crime of falsifying records under current UK law. It’s also potentially damaging to patients who won’t be picked up for the various gender specific cancer screenings, or whose medical condition might be misunderstood without the true information.

The trend is continuing; a street preacher was arrested for “misgendering” someone who approached him and asked his views on the LGBT movement. Incredibly, he was convicted at Magistrates Court before his conviction was later quashed on appeal. The most worrying thing about this case was the hounding and abuse of the preacher by the crowd who largely seemed to support the view that he had committed a homophobic hate crime simply by speaking the truth.

Another headline this week stated that teachers are tiptoeing around as they are afraid of saying something that will cause them to end up like Enoch Burke. Those of us who are Christians must stand up and be counted, or it won’t be long before we too fall foul of the same cultural swing that took away his livelihood and freedom.

So often our Christian lives are comfortable and we get along with everyone. Is this harmony only because we are afraid to speak out? Is it because we haven’t even identified ourselves as Christians let alone taken a stand on anything important? Are we more worried about offending people than speaking the truth in love? What about the eternal destiny of those around us; have we offered true hope in Jesus?  

We should remember that “everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” (2 Timothy 3 vs 12)

I’m sure that’s Enoch Burke’s heart desire. Let’s pray for him and his family as he deals with the fallout.

Top 15 Christian Books Read in 2021/2022

It’s time for my Christian book recommendations for 2021/2022. For those that missed them, you can also see my 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 selections.

You can read my Goodreads reviews by clicking on the title link. 

1. Forgive Me Natasha- For those who enjoy dramatic stories of conversion, this autobiography documents the life of a Communist Youth leader turned Christian in Russia. 

2. To The Golden Shore: The Life of Adoniram Judson- The life of this well-known missionary despite his many setbacks and trials is always an inspiration.

3. The Demon Gods of Thorny River- Superstition and ancestral worship run rampant in this short account dealing with the dangers of the Occult. Lessons can be learned and warnings adhered to.

 

4. Green Leaf in Drought- Probably the only Isobel Kuhn book that hasn't been a disappointment. This short account deals with a family trapped in China and expelled as "foreign devils" during the rebellion.

 

5. No Greater Love- Perhaps my most controversial choice but it provides a more balanced view on the doctrine of God's sovereignty vs man's responsibility.

 

6. The Guiding Hand- Another book dealing with persecution in China but this one is autobiographical.

 

7. Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire- Definitely not what I was expecting. Slightly on the charismatic side but with a focus on prayer.

 

8. How To Win Souls and Influence People- Evangelistic experience and advice from someone I have a lot of time for, Ray Comfort.

 

9. The Least, The Last and The Lost- This book can come across as a rant if you don't first listen to, or read, the testimony of the author and understand that it's more born of frustration that the evangelical church isn't doing more to reach those living in deprived communities.

 

10. Look, No Hands!- Heart-breaking tale of Brian Gault born with deformities due to the Thalidomide drug. However, Brian gains a new perspective when he becomes a Christian.

11. Called To Go- The impossibilities of missionary work and one lady's attempts to hurdle them, in God's strength, in the jungles of the Amazon.

12. My Beloved Russia: A Story of God's Love for a Persecuted People- For the historians, this tale of growing up in Russia from the perspective of a Christian looking back is probably unique.

13. Out Of The Black Shadows- Best autobiographical account I've read for quite a while. Gang member Stephen Lungu is dramatically converted. His terrible childhood may upset some readers.

14. Fearless Pilgrim: The Life and Times of John Bunyan- This was a marathon but well worth reading. It will encourage you not to choose the broad path but to stay on the narrow that leads to life.

15. Fanny Crosby: The Blind Girl's Song- I'm aware these Trail Blazers books are for teens but I learned a lot about this famous poet and hymn writer. 

 

So, that's my list for 2021/2022. Hopefully, you find something on it worth looking at for 2023. Happy reading!

What to Expect if you Join an Open-Air Mission Team

I’ve recently returned from Lincoln Christmas Market (LCM) having served on an Open-Air Mission (OAM) team. I’ve written about the experience before here, but as that was in 2017, five years ago, I thought it would be good to bring things up to date. My friends find it amusing that although I've been on this mission four times now, I've never actually visited the market itself.

This time, I travelled with an enthusiastic new(ish) believer from my church who had been praying about getting more involved in open-air work. The main thing she had been told by multiple people was to make sure she brought sufficient clothing as LCM is usually freezing!

Arriving at TCM Baptist Church on Thursday in the late afternoon, we met the rest of the team who were all men, apart from two ladies cooking for us. There were some younger men this time though as the mission has taken on some new evangelists.

The eldest team member, in his early eighties, who sadly lost his wife fairly recently, arrived with two giant suitcases, a massive rucksack, a trolley and a carrier bag. People may laugh, but various items from his extensive luggage have come in handy over the years, or so I’m told.

We had dinner together, then a short team meeting before heading to Lincoln Evangelical Church for their weekly Bible study and prayer meeting. Then, the men bedded down in the church to endure each other’s snoring, whilst the two of us headed to a church member’s house for comparative luxury, at least that’s how the men saw it judging by some comments the following day.

Breakfast the next day, then another team meeting with a Bible study and prayer time. The book table literature was explained to us including some items in foreign languages.

Two of the men volunteered to head to the market stalls with the OAM year planners. The oldest man kept volunteering but pointed out that he would need to get the bus to get there. The team leader looked a tad concerned that this dear man might not make it back again if he did go up the hill and thankfully there were enough volunteers that this unnecessary risk wasn’t necessary.

A slight debate about why the market traders want the calendars which are essentially a black and white grid with a small Bible verse on the bottom, and the OAM logo at the top. No pictures or colour. A few admitted they were also baffled by the popularity of the pretty uninspiring gifts.

Ready to go, we all begin layering up; thermals, gloves, hats, scarves, fleeces, and big coats over the top of everything. I ended up wearing five pairs of socks as memories of previous LCM’s got the better of me.

We no doubt looked ridiculous as our motley crew headed out dressed for the Arctic. It’s amazing how cold it gets when you’re just standing around rather than moving from stall to stall, or shop to shop. Don’t join an OAM team if you’re at all concerned about your appearance as these things go straight out of the window.

Facing the annoyance of the railway crossing, where despite the option to cross the footbridge, most people wait for anything up to twenty minutes for multiple trains to pass. There was also some buzz about a steam train which never seemed to materialise. Everyone was craning their necks to get a look at the elusive machine, but after a lengthy wait, the barriers opened without the anticipated sighting which made some people very angry!

Then, a Romanian woman, kneeling in the cold street with a sign, “I’m hungry” and a small cup. We tried to talk to her, but her English was poor. She said she had a house. I gave her a sausage roll then wondered afterwards if she was Muslim and would be unable to eat it. Several other people stopped and tried to help; one man told her to get up as he was distressed that she was kneeling on the floor. He then put £20 in her pot and, a few seconds later, someone else put £10 in. She was there the whole time we were in Lincoln, even kneeling in the rain, and we had to keep passing her to get to and from the church. There was nothing we could do not being local but knowing that people were being generous helped us to continue to our destination. Cynically, she may have been a professional beggar, but it’s better to give people the benefit of the doubt.

There was an NHS kiosk and a busker where we usually set up in the main street, so we moved further along. The guys set up the open-air board and one of them began preaching. The large book table was set up nearby.

After a while, one of the team suggested I might need to rescue my friend who was being preached at. I turned around to see a lively debate taking place. I sidled over to discreetly listen. A little lady was excitably quoting from her phone containing a version of the Bible. My friend was listening politely having identified that this lady was a Jehovah’s Witness. She told the lady that her version of the Bible was different, but the lady wasn’t listening. Seeing that the conversation wasn’t progressing, I joined them and after a bit of back and forth, I informed her that she was deceived and was misleading people. At this point, she left. It’s good to try and talk to JW’s as we have seen some converted, but if they are not open to hearing the truth, they can waste our time.

I didn’t need to rescue my friend again as she knows her stuff, although I did keep an eye on a conversation she ended up in with a young man who, after a few minutes, was gazing at her and hanging on her every word. Usually, we try to start conversations with people of the same gender but, if you are giving out leaflets, you can’t refuse to talk to someone if they start talking to you, so it can be unavoidable. Introducing them to a guy on the team usually does the trick if it becomes awkward! 

There were some really good discussions taking place. Our team leader chatted with a man who said he had lost everyone during Covid 19 and that a Christian had previously tried to talk to him. He felt he had squandered his opportunity to hear by ignoring that preacher and was now determined to listen. He said he would go home and read the Gospel of John straight away.

 I spoke to a lady and her mother. The mother was a spiritualist. The younger lady became more and more interested as the Gospel was explained. She then said, “Oh, I think I need to get a Bible.” I was able to give her part of the Bible and literature to read. Another girl from Laos said that she had heard bits of the Christian message from friends but didn’t really understand. She too was given literature and seemed keen to read it after I had explained the Gospel. Also, a couple who said they were new to the area but seemed interested in attending the church were given details and encouraged to do so.

There were also those who stopped and half-heartedly engaged but weren’t really interested. A small group with one girl who said she came from a pagan background and wasn’t religious. Nevertheless, they listened to a Gospel explanation but remained entrenched in their apathy towards Jesus.

During this period, we had lunch back at the church where we were teased for buying hot snacks from Greggs, rather than relying on the sandwiches.

After lunch, another couple, the guy saying that he often heard a street preacher in Grimsby and considered himself a Christian. I asked what he thought the main message of Christianity was based on what he had heard. “To be a good person,” he said thoughtfully. I explained why this wasn’t right and wondered who he had been listening to.

It was pointed out later, in our team chat, that it may have been that he was hearing what he wanted to hear rather than the street preacher having said the wrong thing. Spiritual blindness is a strange entity. I’ve explained the Gospel to someone multiple times before, emphasising that it’s not through good works that we are saved, only for the person to say that they are going to try their best at the end of the discussion.

 Then, a heckler. The preacher had just quoted John 3 vs 16 when a passing man stopped in his tracks. He said “What if I don’t want eternal life? I’m not enjoying my life now; I’d rather be dead.” To his credit, the preacher recognised this as a genuine heart cry and with compassion explained the alternatives of Heaven and Hell as a final destination. The man engaged for quite a while before refusing literature and further conversation, but he had been offered hope in his dark situation.

We packed up at around 4pm and headed back to the church for dinner and another team time where we shared the various contacts we had had and prayed for them.

Then, the heat pads I had brought suddenly became very popular as we headed back out for the evening stint. They were shared around, especially amongst the older folks, and provided some welcome relief from the cold.

Setting up in the same place as earlier in the day, we observed a number of drunk people around. One woman, carrying a bottle of wine, came and stood directly in front of the board and began interrupting the preacher with questions. I attempted to move her into a one-to-one conversation, but her partner was also there, and then another man, seemingly high on something and unaware that his trousers were falling down, randomly appeared and standing next to the preacher kept interrupting him as well. I managed to signal to a few of the guys that I would talk to the lady if they could keep the two men at bay.

The lady began telling me terrible details about her tragic life. When we moved on to the Gospel, she suddenly said really loudly to her partner who was standing a fair distance away, “Here, this woman says that I’m not a Christian because I’ve been christened, she keeps saying that a Christian is someone who has been forgiven of their sin through Jesus or something. That’s not right though, is it?” I felt a little embarrassed as everyone turned to look at me as this lady indignantly accused me of offending her.

We continued talking after she calmed down. She kept saying, “I really want to hear this,” but then only listening to parts of what I said because she was drunk. She did tell the other guy to go away though when he tried to join the conversation. In the end, I gave her a Gospel of John and a leaflet and told her to read them the next day when she was sober. She knew what I meant and gave me a hug as she went back to her partner.

Later, one of the team that had been talking to her partner said that when she came over to them, she said that it was the first time anyone had told her that she wasn’t a Christian just because she had been christened. So, at least that was something!

During this exchange, a large group of youths had gathered around the board as well as some other people. There was a discussion taking place and many took leaflets to read. My friend had a profitable chat with three girls, a Muslim, an atheist and someone from a religious background. They all took Gospels away.

9pm couldn’t come quickly enough by this point at it was very very cold. We headed back to the church for a quick meeting before departing to our beds.

 Day two, a little colder and there was some rain about.

Almost immediately, after we had set up, a girl hesitated as she walked past the preacher. I asked her what she thought of what was being said and she swore in her response. I asked her why she felt like this and she told me that she had been hurt by the church. She had been very hostile initially, but I encouraged her to remember that the church is not God, and that it is made up of sinners. She seemed to soften. She didn’t like the idea that babies were born sinful, but I pointed out that she wasn’t a baby, and it was more important to focus on her own standing before God. She didn’t say much more, but at the end of the conversation when I gave her a Gospel of John, she offered me her hand to shake and then gave me a hug!

Later, after lunch, where both myself and my friend had been ushered into what can only be described as a professional recording studio, to be interviewed on camera about our OAM experience, I was interviewed again by one of the men in the open air. This time, for details of my conversion. I saw some ladies listening at the back of the group as I was asked an interesting question. The team leader highlighted that I had travelled a lot and lived in various cultures with other religions. In light of this, he asked why I had chosen Christianity. I said that it was the only faith that offered me an eternal home in Heaven. Of course, afterwards, I realised that the main reason is because I believe it is the truth, but sometimes when we are on the spot we focus on another aspect.

After this, a small group of children were told to listen to my story, about dealing with addiction, by our team leader. We spoke to them afterwards, but they were joined by some friends who were a bit disruptive. They all ended up taking Gospels of John away in any event and promising not to just throw them away.

We then had a mini carol service with people from the churches we were connected to. I hadn’t been looking forward to this as I had memories of half-hearted and out of tune singing with about ten people in the rain. However, this time there were around thirty people from the churches, who could sing, the rain was only light, and many people joined in. I even heard part-singing from one direction, a definite first for the OAM team!

I spoke to two ladies who had been singing with us afterwards. They handed me the carol sheet and thanked us for having the service. The one lady was saying how great it was that we were out singing in the street at Christmas.

It’s always an awkward moment as they’ve enjoyed the entertainment, but I know that somehow, I have to turn the conversation to the Gospel. I asked them if they were Christians. The lead lady said, “Yes, I’m a Catholic.” She started speaking about God and love and how all God wants is for us to be happy. I gently challenged this which led to a Gospel discussion. The lady seemed to be born again but was lacking assurance in her salvation. I pointed her to various promises in the Bible to encourage her. She kept saying that she wasn’t worthy of Heaven. I responded that none of us are, but that Jesus is and that is why He died for us. She finally said that she didn’t want to be in Heaven if her loved ones who had gone before were in Hell. She was focusing on trying to move them out of Purgatory. I explained that Purgatory doesn’t exist, and we talked through the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus. Her friend listened quietly to our friendly discussion which was becoming quite passionate as I really wanted this lady to have assurance. She took a copy of The Unique Jesus, and I gave her friend a Gospel of John. The first lady gave me a big hug (my third of the two days!) and the second one shook my hand and thanked me for speaking to them.

Heading back to the church for the final time, we chatted about the mission. My friend had really enjoyed it, “Phew”. There’s always a fear that someone who is keen will be put off and never want to be involved in open-air work again. I remembered that after my first OAM team, I went home re-energised and wanting to do more evangelism, but you never know how someone else will react.

Discussing homeward journeys over dinner, someone mentioned a train strike and I realised that the only way to ensure our oldest team member got home in one piece was if I took him and all his luggage in my small car. Fortunately, another team member, with slightly more muscle for carrying bags, who was also concerned about the strike, opted to come with us. We therefore squashed four lots of luggage in my car before heading for the North.

Having dropped the two guys off in Leeds and Manchester, myself and my friend were sleepily chatting about the mission as we made our way back to Rochdale.

Suddenly, an unfamiliar ring tone from the backseat. Our Liverpudlian friend had left his phone, presumably with his train ticket on it in my car. Praying that he wouldn’t end up bedded down at Manchester Piccadilly, I decided it was tomorrow’s problem as each day has enough trouble of its own.

I told my friend that having endured the cold at the OAM Lincoln team event, she should now be ready for anything. The conversations I've mentioned here are mostly ones that I personally had but all of the team had opportunities. The Gospel was shared with many lost souls. 

Why don't you join an OAM team event in 2023 and reach out with the saving message of hope in Jesus?

Are You Born Again or Just Religious?

In the news today, I happened to read the headline that according to the 2021 Census less than half of England and Wales now identify as Christian.

At first, I felt sad but then I realised that statistics like this don’t really mean a lot. If people identify as Christian just because they were born in a particular country, go to church, or have gone through a religious ritual, then of course the numbers of “Christians” will be falling as people lose interest in being associated with a particular religion.

It made me wonder what people mean when they apply the label in the first place. It’s often the first question I ask people in the street, “Are you a Christian?” A lot of people say that they are but then add, “I’m not really religious, though” or “I don’t go to church.” Some even say, “But I don’t believe in God” which seems a little strange.

Last week, I saw a lady looking at our open-air board which was carrying a Christian message. I asked her whether she was a Christian and she smiled and said, “Yes of course, I’m a Methodist.” “Great,” I said, “So you’ve trusted in Jesus for forgiveness of sin and are on your way to Heaven?” or words to this effect. The lady stared at me, then burst out laughing as if I had said something hilarious. The grin still plastered on her face, she quickly escaped before I could say anything else.

Another lady and her daughter had recently been bereaved of their husband/father. They said they were all Christians and began telling me what a great person the man had been. They went as far as to say that kingly robes would have been laid out for him as he met God because he had never done anything wrong in his life. I asked them if they were sure where they were going and left them with a “Peace with God” leaflet.

Today, a man returned the leaflet I had just given him. I asked him if he was already a Christian. He said, “Yes, I worked for an undertaker for decades, so I’ve seen more bodies and been in more churches than you have been in your life.” I’m not really sure of the relevance of this statement, but the man seemed to think he was right with God because of his church attendance even whilst working as an undertaker!

That’s three people, in the space of less than a week, who carried the Christian label but whose words betrayed a total misunderstanding of the Christian message. If slightly under half of the people living in England and Wales still call themselves Christians, there are likely many millions living under this misapprehension.

It’s such a common problem in Western nations, that it can be refreshing to meet real Christians.

Another man, last week, had approached our board which had a number of Bible verses on it. I asked if he was a Christian. He said that he was. I asked if he was sure he was going to Heaven. He said that he was. I asked him on what basis he was sure. He said, “Because Romans chapter 10 verse 9 says that if I confess Jesus as Lord and believe in my heart that God raised Him from the dead. I will be saved.” I was so astonished that I had to quickly check that the verse wasn’t already written on the board!

To be clear, religious rituals and/or identifying as a Christian don’t achieve anything by themselves. They will not provide forgiveness of sin, or make you right with God and, crucially, they will not save you. 

To become a Christian, The Bible says we must repent and believe that Jesus died on the cross for our sin. This involves humbling ourselves and accepting that we are sinners. Next, being sorry for our sin and willing to turn away from it (repentance). Then, belief in the heart that Jesus paid the price with his death on the cross, trusting Him for forgiveness and new life. Now, surrender to Him and make Him Lord of your life.

When a person becomes a Christian, they are born again. They are a new creation. The old has gone and they have been made new. Their life is transformed, and they are never the same again. They throw off their old habits and lifestyle (with God’s help) and live a new life following Jesus as Saviour and Lord. Not a perfect life, but a changed one.

This transformation is the only basis on which we can be sure we are saved and on our way to Heaven.

12 Reasons People Give for Rejecting Jesus

I nearly used the word “excuses” in the title but thought that “reasons” was less provocative. However, in reality the reasons people give are excuses because the evidence is there for anyone who is concerned enough to investigate.

1. I’m too busy- People often say this when we attempt to speak to them in the street or offer them a leaflet. It’s tempting to point out that we are only after a few minutes of their time and that we are talking about their eternal destination. However, we all know that we make time for the things that are important to us, so what they are really saying is that they aren’t interested.

2. I’ll consider it when I’m older- We had some young lads say this to us during a mission this year. You would’ve thought the pandemic would’ve made people more aware of their mortality and that no one is guaranteed tomorrow. However, it’s amazing how quickly people are lulled back into a false sense of security when times of crisis appear to have passed.

3. I’m too old to change my beliefs now- Tragically, we sometimes hear this from people. Again, it’s more a case of not being willing to change, or even to consider the case for change rather than their age preventing them. Jesus welcomes anyone, of any age, who will repent and trust Him for salvation.

4. I’ll get there on my own- A little like the Pharisees (religious leaders) in the Bible. People like to think that they can earn a place in Heaven through good deeds, a religious life, prayer, confession, charity work etc. A Catholic man of 83 who said he had been doing all these things all his life asked me what I had done in comparison. As he walked away, he called out that when he died, they would be “over the moon” to see him. I feared for that proud man who was not trusting Jesus but relying on his own goodness.

5. I don’t want to give up my lifestyle- At least this is more honest. It’s different to saying I can’t live up to God’s standards of holiness. If that was the requirement, then none of us would make it. This is where someone knows that repentance is required and knows they would need to be willing, with God’s help, to try and turn away from lifestyle sins that they are attached to.

6. I can’t read/concentrate/understand- A lot of people who say these things actually don’t want to hear because when we offer them a CD/DVD or try to use simpler language, they aren’t interested. They aren’t willing to seek God or make any effort to understand. The Bible tells us a child can understand the way of salvation.

7. I don’t know which religion is true- This is interesting as it can be a genuine dilemma, but it’s also used as a red herring. Two young guys recently told me that they had been given a John’s Gospel by a co-worker and were reading it every day. I asked them if they understood the message and they said that they did. I asked them whether they had become Christians. They looked shocked and immediately replied that they had not. I asked them why and they said it was because there were lots of alternative views out there. So, I asked them to consider whether Christianity was true before worrying about all the other religions. It struck me that these lads seemed not to be searching for the truth but possibly just acquiring knowledge. People can sit on the fence their entire lives if they aren’t willing to take a true step of faith.

8. I can’t go to church- This isn’t a requirement for salvation, but because people know that if they become Christians, they will be expected to attend church, they sometimes say this. It can be due to bad experiences in the past, due to fears of large groups of people, anxiety disorders, or other reasons. The best thing to do is not to say that someone doesn’t need to attend church as a Christian but encourage them to take one step at a time in that direction, to decide firstly if they are ready to repent and believe that Jesus died for them. God will then help them with getting to church.

9. Christians are hypocrites/religion causes wars- I’ve put these together as they are essentially the same. When people use sin in the church, or in Christians they know to justify their own negative response, all we can do is to remind them that we are all sinners. It is awkward when a professing Christian falls into grievous sin, but this is why we need to fix our eyes on Jesus and not on other Christians who are just as fallible as we all are.

10. I just don’t believe it’s true- Most people who say this have never read the Bible. Most people don’t know the true Gospel message. Most are placing something else that they consider to be more plausible above God e.g., science, or Richard Dawkins. People who say this aren’t usually willing to investigate for themselves, they are closed minded because they don’t want to believe. They have nailed their colours to the mast eternally, without considering the evidence which is pretty risky if you ask me.

11. God is unfair- Usually these conversations start with, I can’t follow a God who allows…. or how can a God of love send people to Hell? Questions around suffering are difficult, especially when it is personal. However, there are reasons for suffering, pain, death and Hell. They all trace back to humans committing sin. People who use this as a reason to reject God are essentially placing themselves in God’s position and making a judgement on Him. We can’t see the big picture. We are the creatures, and He is the Creator. There are things that we can’t understand that we must leave to God.

12. I’m an Agnostic- I’m meeting more and more people who say this rather than that they are an Atheist. However, believing that the truth about God is unknowable when He has clearly revealed Himself in sources that we can easily access (The Bible), just means the person is unwilling to commit to an opinion about something. Ignorance is not an excuse in any other area of life so why should it be any different with God?

Maybe you are reading this, and you recognise yourself in one of these categories. Perhaps, you are thinking that by giving these reasons, you are not really rejecting Jesus, but just living your life.

The Bible says that we are either following Jesus as Saviour and Lord, or we are not. If we are not, we are following the world which is under the influence of the devil for this period of time.

If we are Christians, we are safe and heading for eternity in Heaven. If we are not, we are currently heading for a lost eternity in Hell.

In light of the eternal nature of these things, it seems sensible to suggest that people should either be on an urgent search for the truth, in which case they will be willing to read, pray and perhaps visit a church, or they are already Christians and will be wanting to lead others in this direction.

Please don’t let one of the reasons above, or others that I haven’t thought of, stop you from searching for the truth.

The Bible says that if we seek God with all our hearts, we will find Him. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father except through Me."