Will You Silence the Alarm or Heed the Warning?

 

Earlier this week, I returned from an Open-Air Mission team event in Oxford. It was a short 2 day mission speaking to people attending St Giles Fair.

One of the preachers, based in London, began a talk that I don’t remember having heard before. He had the heading “Ignored Warnings” on the board. As people started to stop, he put up some pictures of the Titanic, a failed NASA mission and Grenfell Tower.

Then he asked people what happens when a fire alarm goes off in the middle of the night in a hotel. He suggested that everyone would come to their doors and look out into the corridor. If there didn’t seem to be any problem and the noise had stopped, people would go back to bed. The assumption is always that it’s a false alarm.

He explained each of the pictures and the warnings that had been ignored. With the Titanic it was the fact that there were icebergs, engineers had warned the 1986 NASA launch team about mechanical problems and with Grenfell Tower there was a campaign group warning about fire risks in the building.

In fact, with most accidents of this nature, there have been multiple warnings prior to the tragedy.

By this point, a small crowd had gathered and were listening intently. The preacher then placed the word JUDGEMENT on the board and explained that God is warning us of a coming judgement. He has sent prophets and messengers and they have recorded these warnings in the Bible.

At the judgement, people’s lives will be examined and each person will be found guilty because of sin. They will be sentenced to eternity in a horrible place called Hell.

He asked the listeners how people had survived the Titanic. Someone said they had clung on to pieces of wood. The preacher pointed out that whilst that was true it was only a temporary solution as those objects would sink or the person would die of hypothermia. Someone else then said that they were rescued by lifeboats.

The preacher explained that through Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection from the dead, He is the lifeboat, and can save us from the coming judgement.

By this point every person, including the team members, were gripped by this message. The preacher challenged people to respond by getting into the lifeboat and being rescued before it was too late.

With the help of God’s Holy Spirit, he conveyed a sense of solemnity and urgency that isn’t always present during these talks and encouraged people to be brave and step forward to take Gospels from his hand. After an initial pause, multiple people went forward and the team had conversations with them afterwards.

I spoke to a girl who thought she was a Christian. When I asked if she was sure of Heaven she said that she wasn’t and that this was why she had gone forward to take the Gospel. She wanted to be sure and to avoid the judgement to come. We had a good conversation.

I don’t think any of those present will forget that warning of the judgement to come.

Afterwards, I realised that we all ignore warnings constantly about all manner of things: 

• we silence alarm clocks or put them on snooze
• we remove batteries from the beeping fire alarm rather than replacing them immediately
• we put pieces of tape over flashing lights on our car dashboard or just hope the light will go off
• we fail to investigate burglar or car alarms when they are sounding
• we drive past signs saying the road is closed or move the cones out of the way
• we sack or demote whistle-blowers aiming to permanently silence them
• we ignore red flags in relationships

I’ve twice heard and seen security vans with loud speakers shouting that they are being attacked and for the police to be called only for people to just carry on as normal.

Why do we do this when as a society we are supposedly more safety conscious and risk averse than ever before? Why do we do this when most people are afraid of dying?

I think it’s because we don’t really believe bad things will happen to us. We don’t really believe the warnings and we don’t want the inconvenience or cost of having to change the way we do things.

Even after the accident happens and the tragedy occurs, a few years down the line, have we not reverted back to the same patterns that caused the problem in the first place. We don’t seem to learn from our mistakes no matter how many times we are warned.

God’s warning of judgement is the most serious warning of all because it applies to all humanity and how we respond determines where we will spend eternity.

Don’t silence the alarm or put it on snooze as there’s no guarantee you will wake up. The wise thing to do is to heed the warnings in the Bible and to flee from the wrath to come.

Ask God to forgive you for the things you’ve done wrong in your life. Believe that Jesus died for you on the cross. Turn away from those wrong things (repent) and commit your life to Him.

Do it today, you might not have tomorrow.

 

10 Reasons People Will be Refused Entry to Heaven (and End Up in Hell....)

A friend of mine who is associated with the Open-Air Mission has a short talk entitled "Are you sure you aren't going to Hell?" It's not a popular subject but if there are only two destinations after this life then surely we must make sure we're heading for the right place!

During evangelism, I speak to lots of people from all walks of life and the number one answer when I ask them whether they are sure they are going to get into Heaven is, "I hope so" or "hopefully." Sadly, professing Christians often say this too.

When I explain the Gospel to these people sometimes it's like a light goes on as they understand for the first time. Others walk away stating that they will continue trying their best. A few are offended by the suggestion that they are on the wrong path. 

So, what are the things that will cause us to be turned away from Heaven on Judgement Day?

1. Unforgiven sin. If we stand before the God of the Universe on Judgement Day carrying the huge burden of the sins we have all committed during our lives, we can't really expect anything other than to be condemned. If we entered Heaven with our sin it would be spoiled. Remember that this is how the Garden of Eden was ruined in the first place. Adam and Eve were given a perfect life in a perfect Creation and would have lived forever with God but their rebellion led to destruction and death. God cannot have anything to do with sin because of His holiness and perfection.

2. Not believing in God (Atheism). Perhaps this is obvious but it's worth saying that a person who doesn't believe in or acknowledge God cannot enter Heaven. The Bible says that for someone to come to God they "must believe that He exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek Him." (Hebrews 11 vs 6) Part of this reward is eternal life in Heaven which is not for an unbeliever. There will be no Atheists on Judgement Day. The Bible actually says that there are none now, in Romans 1, it refers to Creation and evidences of God all around us leaving people without excuse if they deny Him.

3. Sitting on the fence (Agnosticism). A label that I'm hearing more and more frequently these days. There comes a time when we need to make up our minds and decide what we believe. We begin on the broad road that leads to destruction so really there is no sitting on the fence. We are either children of God or of the devil. We have either passed from darkness to light or we are still in darkness. This is why the Gospel message is urgent. If people fail to respond to Jesus before they die, there is no hope for them. There is no purgatory or crossing over from Hell to Heaven. If we die as Christians we go to Heaven, if not, it's Hell, forever. What a terrible thought.

4. Rejecting Jesus. I meet people who say that they believe in God but they aren't into Jesus. Some believe He was just a good man or a prophet. Others don't understand His significance at all. This despite the fact that our calendar is dated from His time on Earth. People who reject Jesus as both God and God's Son won't enter Heaven. They have rejected the only Person through Whom they can be saved. "Jesus answered, I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me". (John 14 vs 6)

5. Trusting in good works/trying to earn salvation. As mentioned above, this is probably the biggest reason people will be refused entry to Heaven. One small sin (a lie, thinking a bad thought, not loving God fully all of the time) is enough to keep someone out of Heaven no matter what good things they have tried to do. The Bible says that all have sinned therefore all die. There are no scales on Judgement Day weighing up our good and our bad deeds. The standard to reach Heaven is perfection all of the time for our whole lives....clearly this isn't the way to get there as it's impossible for us who are born in sin.

6. Failing to repent. There are people who carry the Christian label but who don't see the need to repent. Repentance is a complete change of mind and direction. We should stop going our way and doing what we want to do and should instead go God's way and do what He wants us to do. This doesn't mean we will be able to obey Him perfectly, but our lives should change when we become Christians and we should be recognised by the way that we behave afterwards. A lack of repentance is usually to do with pride and a failure to accept that we are sinners in the first place. Jesus' instructions were clear; we must repent and believe to get to Heaven. 

7. Choosing a sinful lifestyle/living for this life. Although similar to the previous point, this is more deliberate and isn't usually found in professing Christians. There are people who know what they are doing and choose the pleasures of this life over the life to come. They make a conscious choice to revel in sin and often the excesses of it. They aren't concerned about the consequences and their consciences become dull over time. This is not the same as a person who changes when they become a Christian (like the prodigal son,) this is someone who arrives at Judgement Day having chased after sin and worldly things their whole lives. They cannot enter Heaven.

8. Following a false religion/prophet. Many Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and others are sincere in what they believe but they are on the wrong path. Their prophets and leaders are false as are the books that they follow. The Bible warns us to be on guard against these traps of the enemy. It also says that "even if an angel or anyone else proclaims something contrary to the Gospel that has been received, they should be under a curse" (Galatians 1 vs 8) How many people have been led astray by these false visions and appearances? People who are following a false religion cannot enter Heaven as they are still carrying their sin.

9. Refusing to be rescued. The Bible makes it clear that God desires all to come to repentance and be saved. It says that people are without excuse if they reject Him. It states that "all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved". There's an illustration of a drowning man waiting for God to save him. He rejects the various rescues that are attempted failing to recognise that God is behind them. Some people for reasons of their own won't accept the hand that God is holding out to them. These people won't reach Heaven as they have stubbornly refused to be helped into the lifeboat.

10. Doing nothing/feigning ignorance. Because we begin on the broad path heading for Hell, doing nothing just means that we continue on that path and reach the final destination. Exercising faith in Jesus is a conscious decision that takes us off the path to destruction and places us on the path to eternal life in Heaven. Likewise pretending there is no decision to be made or claiming ignorance about spiritual things doesn't give a person a free pass as God sees everything and He knows our hearts. He has put eternity in our hearts so we know that there is a life to come. We won't enter Heaven if we do nothing or claim to be ignorant.

It's been quite depressing writing this list but I do so in the hope that some reading this might recognise themselves within it and change course before it's too late. 

As an aside, all the time you are still living and breathing it's never too late to change direction, no matter what you have done. God promises to forgive us and place us on a path to eternity in Heaven if we turn away from our sin (repent) and believe Jesus died for us on the cross. Then, we need to commit our lives to following Him as Saviour and Lord.

Let's make sure we won't be refused entry to Heaven on Judgement Day but will instead be welcomed in because of Jesus' perfect life, death and resurrection for us.

The Bible's Big Story: God's Plan to Rescue Humanity

Ask people on the street what Christians believe and you'll often hear the same answers: "Be a good person," "Love your neighbour," or "Treat others how you'd like to be treated." Many also believe that living a good life is enough to get into Heaven.

But that's not the Bible's main message.

The Bible tells one extraordinary story—how a holy God rescues sinful people through Jesus Christ.

God

Everything begins with God. He has always existed and is eternal. The Bible reveals one God in three persons: the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit.

God is perfectly holy, righteous and good. He is the Creator of everything that exists and loves His creation, especially humanity.

God is not just a bigger version of us. He is outside time and space and far above us in every way.

Creation

God created the universe, the earth, and the first humans, Adam and Eve. His creation was perfect. There was no suffering, death, disease or evil. Humanity enjoyed a perfect relationship with God which would have lasted forever.

What Went Wrong?

God gave Adam and Eve freedom but also one command—not to eat from a particular tree. He warned them that disobedience would bring death.

When they chose to disobey, they were doing far more than eating fruit—they were rejecting God's rule and choosing to live life on their own terms.

This rebellion is what the Bible calls sin.

The Consequences of Sin

Sin broke humanity's relationship with God and the effects were devastating:

• Humanity became separated from God.
• Every person inherited a sinful nature.
• Suffering, disease and death entered the world.
• The whole of creation was affected.

The evidence is all around us. Every person dies because sin has brought death into God's once-perfect creation. In simple terms; we die because we sin. 

But physical death is not the end. The Bible teaches that every person will one day stand before God and give an account of their life.

Our Problem

God gave His law, including the Ten Commandments, to show us His perfect standard:

1. You shall have no other gods before Me
2. You shall not make for yourself a carved image.
3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
5. Honour your father and your mother. 
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8.  You shall not steal.
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.
10. You shall not covet.

None of us has kept God's law perfectly. 

Jesus went even further, teaching that hatred is the root of murder and lust is the root of adultery.

The Bible's verdict is clear:

We are not good people.

We have all sinned against a holy God and cannot save ourselves. We cannot enter Heaven with our unforgiven sin.

Because God is perfectly just, He cannot simply ignore our wrongdoing. The Bible warns that every one of us will one day stand before Him in judgement. Left to ourselves, we face God's righteous wrath and His punishment in Hell.

God's Rescue Plan

Although humanity rebelled against Him, God never stopped loving His creation.

From the very beginning, He promised to send a Saviour who would restore the relationship between God and mankind.

Throughout the Old Testament, God revealed His rescue plan through His prophets, hundreds of years before it happened.

Jesus

God's rescue plan was not simply to send a prophet or a good teacher.

God the Son entered His own creation and became a man.

Jesus lived the perfect life that Adam, Eve and every one of us failed to live. He never sinned—not once. He always obeyed His Father completely.

This is crucial.

The penalty for sin is death, but Jesus had no sin of His own to pay for. He was the only person who did not deserve God's judgement.

The Cross

Thousands of people have been crucified throughout history.

Jesus' death was different.

Because He was completely innocent, He could take the place of guilty people.

On the cross, God placed upon Jesus the punishment that our sins deserved. Jesus willingly bore God's righteous wrath in our place, satisfying His justice completely.

This is sometimes called the great exchange.

Our past, present and future sin was placed on Jesus.

His perfect righteousness is credited to everyone who repents and trusts in Him.

God now treats the believer as though they had lived Jesus' perfect life because Jesus has already borne the punishment they deserved.

Justice is satisfied.

Mercy is offered.

That is why the cross is the centre of the Christian message.

The Resurrection

Three days later, Jesus rose from the dead.

Death could not hold Him because He had committed no sin of His own.

By rising again, Jesus defeated death itself, overthrowing the curse given to Adam and Eve and proving that His sacrifice had been accepted by God. 

The Choice

Jesus has made a way back to God.

Anyone who repents—turns from living their own way—and trusts in Jesus Christ can be completely forgiven.

Our sin is placed on Jesus, and His perfect righteousness is credited to us.

God no longer sees our guilt but Jesus' perfect obedience.

Those who trust in Jesus receive eternal life and will live with Him forever in Heaven.

Those who reject Him remain under God's judgement and will face eternity in Hell. The Bible calls us to "flee from the wrath to come" by turning to Jesus while there is still time.

The Most Important Question

The Bible is not simply a collection of moral lessons.

Its big story is that:

Through the cross of Jesus Christ,

God

Offers

Sinful

People

Eternal 

Life

His invitation is open today, but it will not remain open forever.

The big question is:

How will YOU respond?

People Won't Respond to Irrelevant News

A few decades ago there was a British sitcom called The Office. In one of the episodes, the office manager, David Brent, gathers all his employees and announces that he has good news and bad news. They ask for the bad news first and he tells them that some of them will be losing their jobs. Then, they hopefully ask for the good news and he tells them that he is being promoted. The classic response from one of the by now very annoyed employees is “that’s not good news, that’s bad news and irrelevant news!”

I’ve been thinking about whether we are doing the same thing in evangelism when we start with the Good News of the Gospel or tell people that God loves them and has a wonderful plan for their lives.

Christians often comment that “people just don’t seem to see their need.”

Does our Good News become irrelevant news in the minds of the people because we haven’t started with the sin problem and shown them they need rescuing?

I’ve noticed a trend in Gospel preaching both in the open air and in churches, to major on Jesus and the cross (a good thing) but not to give much context. Sometimes, preachers miss out essential truths like what we need saving from (sin, death, judgement, Hell) and even what we are being saved to (Heaven).

The Message is often, “Come to Jesus, come as you are, especially if you are weary and heavy laden, He will give you peace and rest.” or “Make Jesus king of your life, you won’t regret it.” Many of these preachers make Jesus Himself the end goal rather than Heaven. Does this make any sense to a non-believer, or even a believer?

These messages are often focused on the here and now rather than the eternity that awaits. Listening to some Christians, it’s not clear that there is anything to look forward to in Heaven as they are so invested in the things of the world. But the world is passing away and we are only here for a short time, then we will be in Heaven or Hell, forever.

Ray Comfort (an evangelist) has written a lot about this subject and how we share the Gospel. He favours the Good Person Test where God’s moral law (the 10 commandments) are used to show people their sinfulness. He asks them if they’ve ever told a lie, stolen anything or looked at someone with lust etc….

When they have admitted guilt, he asks them if they were to die would they go to Heaven or Hell. Only when they are well and truly humbled and aware of their dangerous position does he offer the Good News of God’s rescue plan for sinners in Jesus.

I was reading in Nehemiah 8 last week about what happened when Ezra read from the book of the Law. It says he was “making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read.” Their response was to weep in repentance as they listened to the words.

Jesus and John the Baptist began their ministries by declaring “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”

In Acts 2, Peter confronts the Pentecost crowd with their sin of crucifying Jesus. They were cut to the heart and asked, “What shall we do?”

When Stephen speaks about the prophets having been killed and the law not being kept in Acts 7, the religious leaders are cut to the heart but they gnash their teeth and stone him to death.

Later in Acts, Paul explains the historical context and his own story to the governor, Felix, resulting in him becoming afraid when Paul deals with righteousness, self-control and the judgement to come.

It’s clear from these passages that confronting sin produces a reaction one way or the other. Some people will be afraid and respond in repentance and faith. Others may get angry and reject the message or simply just stop their ears and walk away. There is a division between those who are being saved and those who are perishing.  

Last week in Cambridge in the sweltering heat we met an extremely proud man who was unfortunately acting as a hospital chaplain for the area. He told us that he would never talk to people who were dying about sin or judgement because it was cruel and that instead he would seek to offer them peace and comfort in their final moments. There was no reasoning with him as he thought he knew better than Jesus. What a tragedy that this man, who is in a position to help people find eternal security, is more concerned with earthly provision and being culturally appropriate.

When I share the Gospel, I usually start with Heaven and ask people how they think God decides who gets in. This leads on to something similar to the Good Person Test. Having established that the person isn’t good in God’s eyes. I usually go back to Creation and the Fall of man. Only then does God’s redemption plan for humanity (Jesus on the cross) really make sense. Towards the end of the discussion, I urge the person not to stand before God on Judgement Day with all their unforgiven sin because God will send them to Hell. Then I return to the Good News of Jesus.

In Cambridge last week, after I’d shared the Gospel, three different people in three separate conversations, told me they would go away and read books that I had given them that very night! This doesn’t always happen and it’s not a reflection of my skill as an evangelist. But these individuals had obviously sensed the urgency of their situation and realised that this was something they needed to look into immediately.

We can’t convert people, only God can change a person’s heart, but we can certainly ensure they understand their situation and try to convey the importance of these matters. It’s almost impossible to do this without talking about sin, judgement, death and Hell.

In the parables of the pearl of great price and the hidden treasure, when the characters find what they are seeking, they sell all they have to buy it. In John 6, when Jesus asks his disciples whether they are going to leave as everyone else has done, Peter responds, “Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

I asked Ray Comfort recently through a Zoom Q and A if we should be including counting the cost in our Gospel presentations. His answer was no for an interesting reason. He said that if we are sharing the Gospel properly and biblically, we shouldn’t need to.

He was right. None of the people in the Bible stories above needed to be advised to count the cost. They understood what was on offer and they were all in.

If people are made aware of their perilous situation, then we can offer true hope in the Gospel as a remedy for their alarm. Instead, we are often putting the cart before the horse, offering comfort and peace or other life enhancements when the person is teetering on a cliff edge. We must warn people of the judgement that is coming and urge them to repent before it’s too late.

We need to remember that Jesus came into the world on a rescue mission. He came to die on a cross for the sins of the world. He bridged the gap between God and man making a way for us to be saved from the wrath to come, and enter Heaven.

Let’s make sure our news isn’t irrelevant by starting with the bad news which ensures people understand their situation and can joyfully respond to the Good News!

The Cruelty and Horror of Assisted Suicide

I saw this image on the J C Ryle Facebook page a few days ago. I felt shocked, then sad as I realised the reality for many millions of people. I couldn’t forget what I had seen. 

Death has always been one of those difficult subjects. We try to avoid thinking about it but it’s all around us; war, terrorism, crime, famine, earthquakes, abortion, murder, freak weather events, genocide, cancer, accidents, allergic reactions, suicide and now assisted suicide in some countries and the list goes on and on… If we dwelt on the reality of our own frailty and helplessness we’d never get anything done.

The Christian Institute provided a sobering list of what the Bible has to say about death at the Birmingham City Mission Convention this weekend:

-the punishment for sin (Genesis 3 vs 17)

-universal precursor to judgement (Hebrews 9 vs 27)

-a curse (Deuteronomy 30 vs 19)

-the wages of sin (Romans 6 vs 23)

-the last enemy (1 Corinthians 15 vs 26)

-feared by unbelievers (Hebrews 2 vs 15)

-the source of immense human grief (John 11 vs 33-35)

-the end of the opportunity for salvation (Luke 16 vs 26)

The last one on this list is the most frightening of all. What it means is that the minute a soul breathes their last breath here on Earth, they are consigned to their eternal destination without recourse or escape. 

I was on an Open-Air Mission team in Yorkshire last week and one of the guys had a talk entitled “Where are they now?” Then, he had large pictures of famous (or infamous) people including Queen Elizabeth, Margaret Thatcher, Hitler, Jimmy Savile and Amy Winehouse. 

You might imagine that this generated a lot of comments from passer’s by. A few bright sparks pointed out the obvious that they are all dead. Some people were angry about Savile being in the same list as the Queen or even that their pictures were next to each other. Others shouted things about individuals and where they felt they should be. Most believed good people like the late Queen and Margaret Thatcher would be in Heaven and bad people like Hitler and Savile would be in Hell. Amy Winehouse was more of a puzzle but most seemed to want to give her the benefit of the doubt.

The truth (and point of the talk) is that none of us know for sure where these people are now because we aren’t God and we don’t know their hearts, but we do know that their souls have lived on and that they are either in Heaven or Hell forever. They are not just dead in the ground as some would have us believe. 

The Bible also makes it clear that their perceived goodness/badness has nothing to do with where they ended up and although we may think we are better than some of those people, we are not as good as we think we are. The reality is that none of us live up to God’s perfect standard so instead of using society’s yardstick which sets the bar ridiculously low, we should be looking to God who sets the rules.

The debate about whether we should legalise assisted suicide in the UK is a product of secular (and atheistic) values permeating society. Would anyone really dare to suggest it was kinder to “help someone on their way” if they knew their loved one would face an angry, just God at the end of the process? Most sane people would surely agree that no matter how much pain someone was in, an eternity in Hell has to be far far worse. 

The Bible tells us that we are given one life and that the dates of our birth and death are determined by God. Every breath we take is a gift from God who sustains the Universe second by second and minute by minute. When we die we will face God and give an account of our lives; the God who created us, Who knows all things and Who is angry with our rebellion against Him. 

This would be a terrifying prospect for every person if it wasn’t for one historical event that changed everything…

God loved the world so much that He provided a mediator in His Son Jesus. He  sent Him to live a perfect life and then to die on a cross for the sins of the world. God the Father punished God the Son on the cross. This perfect sacrifice opened the way for anyone who believes that Jesus died for them to repent and be forgiven of their sins. We know the sacrifice of Jesus worked because He defeated the curse of death given to humanity at the beginning by coming back to life. Anyone who repents and believes in Jesus will be at peace with God and enter Heaven one day. 

This is amazing news for a broken, dying world.

However, most people who are advocating things like assisted suicide and encouraging others to consider ending their lives prematurely, don’t even acknowledge God let alone the Good News of the Gospel.

They are not, therefore, forgiven of their sin and will face God’s fury and be consigned to Hell for all eternity. Hell is a place of fire, punishment and torment where people will want to die but won’t be able to. Their pain will endure relentlessly. It's why the Bible warns us to "flee from the wrath to come...."

The horrible cruelty is that people who support this legislation are leading others astray by believing they are compassionate and caring and wanting to end people’s suffering.

Instead, they need to realise that God is the author of life and meddling in this way will have tragic and never ending consequences for those who die prematurely and are unprepared to meet their Maker.

Christians, please think about this and stop being neutral and/or silent during these discussions. There is no place for supporting assisted suicide in the church and we must stand against these evil laws that may soon be on our statute books unless we resist them with everything we have at our disposal. 

God is on our side and prayer is powerful when we take our part in the spiritual battle seriously.

Let's support the Christian Institute and other organisations as they seek to defeat this horrible bill once and for all. Let's also make evangelism a most urgent priority as we seek to share the Good News of Jesus with every soul before it's too late for them...

What is Your Greatest Need in a Chaotic World?

Recently, I was present when an evangelist asked a young believer who wanted to join our team, what she believed was the greatest need of the people passing by. She hesitated, thought about it and then said, "love?" The evangelist gently suggested there might be something more important and she quickly answered, "peace?" 

It seems like a big question, more so because if you ask 100 people you're likely to get many, if not 100, different answers. 

Similar questions that could be asked include: is our greatest need determined by our opinion or is it decided by external factors? Are we able to ascertain what our greatest need is? How do we know whether something will meet our greatest need unless we actually have it? Is anything capable of meeting our greatest need? Does our greatest need change over time or is it consistent?

I'm sure many of you are watching current headlines with a growing sense of alarm, our world is increasingly divided in every area of life. It seems inevitable that we are heading for a catastrophe of one sort or another. It's not surprising, therefore, and seems perfectly reasonable, to suggest that love and peace are the solutions and would meet our greatest need but is that really the case?

Is it possible for each one of us to love and be at peace with every other person perfectly all of the time? It's really a rhetorical question as we all know the answer!

Perhaps it would be okay if the leaders of our various countries loved each other and put their neighbours above their own interests or if every country sought peace even if it cost them to do so. History has demonstrated that this isn't possible either. The natural tendency of world leaders is to act in the interests of their own country (and ultimately for themselves) and not for the good of humanity as a whole. Whatever else you may think about him, at least Trump is honest about his intentions.

Maybe our greatest needs are love and peace but we are doomed to a life of hopelessness and helplessness as they will never be met. Should we spend all of our time striving for these things that are seemingly impossible to achieve? Should we, like Greta Thunberg, pour our energies into activism and seek to force people to comply with our sense of what's needed to make things right? Or should we throw our hands up in despair and give in to depression about the state of our world?

Is there another way?

When we think about the question of our greatest need it seems big because we immediately start thinking of all the problems in the world: war, famine, poverty, disease, homelessness, joblessness, family breakdown, crime etc. 

Then, overwhelmed, we move to the problems in our own circles but find a similar list of insurmountable difficulties. 

Defeated, we focus on ourselves. After all, we can't do anything for anyone else until we've got our own house in order, right? But once again we find that we don't know the answers. We may fix one thing but our repair may fall apart and if it holds then along comes another problem and we are back to square one.

There has to be another way...

What if there is only one problem? What if the problem is the same for every individual? What if the problem is responsible for all of the chaos in our world? What if the solution to this problem meets each person's greatest need? What if the solution to this problem has already been provided?

Would you want to know what it is?

My evangelist friend replied to the girl, "It's good to have peace, but what about forgiveness?"

The problem is sin (breaking God's law). We are all guilty because we have all sinned. Sin is against God who sets the rules and it separates us from Him because He is perfect. We are heading for Judgement and in the end Hell. Our greatest need is forgiveness of our sin. The solution was and is provided by Jesus paying the price for our sin at the cross. Jesus died in the place of sinners so that we could be forgiven and restored to a right relationship with God. We need to accept the gift of God, repent (turn away from our sin) and turn towards Jesus believing that He died for us personally. God promises to forgive anyone who turns to Him through Jesus. He guarantees an eternal place in Heaven for us.

If this sounds too simple to deal with the chaos in the world. If it sounds too simple to deal with world leaders wielding power, to deal with corruption at the highest levels, to deal with famine, war and poverty....consider a change of perspective.

God is the Creator of the Universe. He is outside time and space. He isn't just a bigger version of us. He controls and sustains everything in the world and nothing happens without His permission. World events and seeming chaos don't take Him by surprise and aren't an unexpected difficulty. He is working to fulfill His plans and purposes and is working for the good of those who love Him.

Every knee will one day bow before Him and give an account of their lives, from the smallest to the greatest and every one in between.  

Being forgiven of sin leads to peace with God which is our greatest need in a chaotic world. 

In the midst of life's uncertainties, will you turn to Him today?

Does God Still Speak to us in Dreams?

I was planning to write a post about free speech as our open-air keeps getting shut down in Rochdale, then I thought about the importance of relevancy in evangelism because people don’t want to hear irrelevant news. 

Somehow, these topics didn’t inspire me and then last night, I had a dream…..

 In my dream, I was standing in front of a mirror in the toilets of a hospital, presumably washing my hands. A girl appeared at the wash-basin next to me and I saw her reflection in the mirror. Her head was shaved completely and she was dragging an intravenous drip containing medications. She was wearing a dressing gown and looked very unwell.

 On seeing my face in the mirror she immediately smiled and enthusiastically said my name. I looked closer but I didn’t recognise the girl. It was difficult to put an age on her due to the absence of hair on her head. Despite my lack of acknowledgement, she began chattering about things that had happened in the past. It was obvious that she knew me and knew me well. I concluded that we must have been good friends.

The girl told me that she had been given a terminal cancer diagnosis and only had two months to live. I felt terribly sad for her. She asked if I could come and visit her and proceeded to escort me to her ward.

At this point, I realised that I needed to say something rather than just allowing myself to be swept along by the girl’s excitement at recognising an old friend. I said simply, “You know that if I come and visit you, I will be speaking to you about Jesus.”

The girl hesitated and temporarily let go of my arm. Then, she nodded and quietly said, “I know I didn’t want to hear this stuff before, but now I’ve got nothing to lose.”

 Then, I woke up.

It’s fair to say that a dream like this is unsettling. Is there an old friend somewhere in the UK dying of cancer that I’m meant to share the Gospel with? Is that person actually in Southeast Asia or America or another part of the world that I’ve visited on my travels? Is it someone I knew in the UK who now lives elsewhere? 

If I start thinking like this, the possibilities are endless and could lead to panic as I try to identify them before it’s too late!
 
Perhaps, I should try to work out what my dream means by reading the Bible? After all, that’s always good advice, isn’t it? 

My Old Testament reading today states this:
 
    “When there is a prophet among you. I, the Lord, reveal myself to them in visions, I speak to them in dreams.” (Numbers 12 vs 6)
 
According to this verse, the only one in my reading today that refers to dreams, if God sent my dream, I must be a prophet. Hmmm…
 
This may sound silly, but sadly this is how some Christians respond to every dream, sign or other seemingly miraculous event in their lives. They come up with their own interpretation of what God is saying and take Bible verses out of context to support their chosen path. I sometimes meet confused people who have done this and are still focusing on a dream wrongly interpreted and sometimes even confirmed by unwise church leaders.
 
If God had been wanting me to take some specific course of action in relation to an individual, the person would probably have had a face that I recognised. God doesn’t hide His will from us; He wants us to find it. The Bible passage that I read can’t be applied to this situation as, clearly, I’m not a prophet.
 
So, is my dream worthless? Did I eat too much cheese yesterday?
 
Well, God is in control and He allowed me to have this dream so it may be useful. I can take certain things from the dream, submit them to the Bible and perhaps take a less drastic course of action than frantically travelling the world to find my unidentified dying friend.
 
    -The theme of the dream is obviously the urgency of evangelism. The girl had been given two months to live which had put everything into perspective for her. The distractions of the world were no longer her focus as she faced death and eternity. Some here would object to Christians preying on the vulnerable, but the reality is that this girl needs to be offered hope for a future life in Heaven. Surely, telling a person how they might be forgiven of sin and find peace with God is the loving and kind thing to do at the end of their earthly life.
 
    -The dream could be a reminder that it’s never too late to make peace with God. In conversations on the street people often tell me that it’s too late for them which we know isn’t true because of stories like the thief on the cross who received forgiveness as he was dying. However, occasionally, someone asks a question like, “Can I do this at any time?” The answer is always, “Yes, but don’t leave it too long as we aren’t guaranteed tomorrow.”
 
    -Another aspect of the dream might be that a person may be more likely to listen to someone they already have a connection with whether it’s current or from the past. My main evangelistic work is with strangers but I still have responsibility to share with people I know.    
 
   -We can also see from the dream that although someone has rejected God in the past, their circumstances might change and they may be willing to listen on a second, third or fourth attempt.  So, we should persevere and not give up even if they have previously told us they aren't interested. We must find the courage to try again.
 
     -The setting of the dream was a hospital. As a result of attending the FEW conference for evangelists a few weeks ago, I had already looked into the possibility of joining Good News for Everyone (GNFE). One of the reasons for this was to try and get Bibles into places locally, including hospitals and to have conversations with people in these settings. I had spoken to one of my church leaders, who is involved with GNFE and I’m hoping to attend a prayer meeting with local members soon. Perhaps, the dream was a reminder not to forget this ministry and to ensure I get to that meeting.
 
   -In the dream, I was also struck by how alone the girl appeared to be. Being given a terminal diagnosis with such a short time left, will make a person feel alone even if they are surrounded by friends and family, but we mustn’t assume people have a support network as there are plenty of people who don’t have anyone. We know this because of the tragic cases of people who die in their homes and lay undiscovered for weeks, months and even years because no one has missed them. You might be the only person who cares for someone.
 
   -The final lesson that can be extracted from the dream is the importance of taking every opportunity to share the Gospel. It would have been easy to enjoy reminiscing and there probably were plenty of memories that could have made the girl’s last days enjoyable enough, but her greatest need in that moment was to hear that Jesus saves and that she needs to get right with God. It was interesting that, in the dream, she responded as if she knew what was coming when she encouraged me to visit her. It wasn’t the reason she asked me, but she was open to the possibility in a way that she hadn’t been before. I only found this out when I braved the conversation.
 
Perhaps, you’re thinking that I’m over analysing my dream and that there’s no way God intended to communicate all of this to me or maybe that I come across as a bit too much of a hero. I did wonder this myself as, confronted with this situation in reality, I may not have been as bold as I was in my dream.  
 
However, all of the things that I’ve extracted can also be found in the Bible and are a good motivator for evangelism so I think they are profitable.
 
To answer my original question: Does God still speak to us in dreams? 

I don’t really know, but if He does, He will confirm anything He wants us to learn through His Word and it will always be in context.

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."