Atheist Central The Lawman Chronicles
January 15, 2010 | Posted by Peter Listen/Watch the full message – Holding Fast the Word of Life – http://www.desiringgod.org/… By John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: desiringGod.org
Categories: general | 
Tags: bible | 
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January 14, 2010 | Posted by admin by Dr. Albert Mohler
The images streaming in from Haiti look like scenes from Dante’s Inferno. The scale of the calamity is unprecedented. In many ways, Haiti has almost ceased to exist.
The earthquake that will forever change that nation came as subterranean plates shifted about six miles under the surface of the earth, along a fault line that had threatened trouble for centuries. But no one saw a quake of this magnitude coming. The 7.0 quake came like a nightmare, with the city of Port-au-Prince crumbling, entire villages collapsing, bodies flying in the air and crushed under mountains of debris. Orphanages, churches, markets, homes, and government buildings all collapsed. Civil government has virtually ceased to function. Without power, communication has been cut off and rescue efforts are seriously hampered. Bodies are piling up, hope is running out, and help, though on the way, will not arrive in time for many victims.
Even as boots are finally hitting the ground and relief efforts are reaching the island, estimates of the death toll range as high as 500,000. Given the mountainous terrain and densely populated villages that had been hanging along the fault line, entire villages may have disappeared. The Western Hemisphere’s most impoverished nation has experienced a catastrophe that appears almost apocalyptic.
In truth, it is hard not to describe the earthquake as a disaster of biblical proportions. It certainly looks as if the wrath of God has fallen upon the Caribbean nation. Add to this the fact that Haiti is well known for its history of religious syncretism — mixing elements of various faiths, including occult practices. The nation is known for voodoo, sorcery, and a Catholic tradition that has been greatly influenced by the occult.
Haiti’s history is a catalog of political disasters, one after the other. In one account of the nation’s fight for independence from the French in the late 18th century, representatives of the nation are said to have made a pact with the Devil to throw off the French. According to this account, the Haitians considered the French as Catholics and wanted to side with whomever would oppose the French. Thus, some would use that tradition to explain all that has marked the tragedy of Haitian history — including now the earthquake of January 12, 2010.
Does God hate Haiti? That is the conclusion reached by many, who point to the earthquake as a sign of God’s direct and observable judgment.
God does judge the nations — all of them — and God will judge the nations. His judgment is perfect and his justice is sure. He rules over all the nations and his sovereign will is demonstrated in the rising and falling of nations and empires and peoples. Every molecule of matter obeys his command, and the earthquakes reveal his reign — as do the tides of relief and assistance flowing into Haiti right now.
A faithful Christian cannot accept the claim that God is a bystander in world events. The Bible clearly claims the sovereign rule of God over all his creation, all of the time. We have no right to claim that God was surprised by the earthquake in Haiti, or to allow that God could not have prevented it from happening.
God’s rule over creation involves both direct and indirect acts, but his rule is constant. The universe, even after the consequences of the Fall, still demonstrates the character of God in all its dimensions, objects, and occurrences. And yet, we have no right to claim that we know why a disaster like the earthquake in Haiti happened at just that place and at just that moment.
The arrogance of human presumption is a real and present danger. We can trace the effects of a drunk driver to a car accident, but we cannot trace the effects of voodoo to an earthquake — at least not so directly. Will God judge Haiti for its spiritual darkness? Of course. Is the judgment of God something we can claim to understand in this sense — in the present? No, we are not given that knowledge. Jesus himself warned his disciples against this kind of presumption.
Why did no earthquake shake Nazi Germany? Why did no tsunami swallow up the killing fields of Cambodia? Why did Hurricane Katrina destroy far more evangelical churches than casinos? Why do so many murderous dictators live to old age while many missionaries die young?
Does God hate Haiti? God hates sin, and will punish both individual sinners and nations. But that means that every individual and every nation will be found guilty when measured by the standard of God’s perfect righteousness. God does hate sin, but if God merely hated Haiti, there would be no missionaries there; there would be no aid streaming to the nation; there would be no rescue efforts — there would be no hope.
The earthquake in Haiti, like every other earthly disaster, reminds us that creation groans under the weight of sin and the judgment of God. This is true for every cell in our bodies, even as it is for the crust of the earth at every point on the globe. The entire cosmos awaits the revelation of the glory of the coming Lord. Creation cries out for the hope of the New Creation.
In other words, the earthquake reminds us that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only real message of hope. The cross of Christ declares that Jesus loves Haiti — and the Haitian people are the objects of his love. Christ would have us show the Haitian nation his love, and share his Gospel. In the midst of this unspeakable tragedy, Christ would have us rush to aid the suffering people of Haiti, and rush to tell the Haitian people of his love, his cross, and salvation in his name alone.
Everything about the tragedy in Haiti points to our need for redemption. This tragedy may lead to a new openness to the Gospel among the Haitian people. That will be to the glory of God. In the meantime, Christ’s people must do everything we can to alleviate the suffering, bind up the wounded, and comfort the grieving. If Christ’s people are called to do this, how can we say that God hates Haiti?
If you have any doubts about this, take your Bible and turn to John 3:16. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. That is God’s message to Haiti.
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I am always glad to hear from readers and listeners. Write me at mail@albertmohler.com. Follow regular updates on Twitter at www.twitter.com/AlbertMohler.
In giving assistance to the people, I recommend giving through the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. They have an excellent Haiti response in place through Baptist Global Response.
Photo credit, International Mission Board.
See also these two articles from the Katrina disaster:
Categories: evangelism | Tags: evangelism, judgment, repentance, salvation | No Comments »
January 14, 2010 | Posted by Alex Burt 
Nigel (Black Shirt) and his team of evangelists in South Africa.
My friend Nigel who lives in South Africa posted this Praise Report
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Summer4Souls™ Muizenberg & Sunrise Circle beach
Posted on January 11, 2010 by Gary Crous
The following Praise Report was written by Brother Nigel Titus for Sunday January 10, 2010
With this past week end being the last of the school vacation, we anticipated major crowds at the beaches in and around Cape Town, with beach goers hoping to enjoy the last bit of their holiday before heading back to work & school.
Determined not to let the moment pass us by, we got a team together and headed out to one of our favorite fishing holes, Muizenberg & Sunrise Circle beach. We were joined by two new brothers who had heard of our fishing expeditions and desired to labour with us in the field. By the grace of God, we are thankful that our “core” team of evangelists and like minded brothers and sisters is steadily increasing with each new adventure we have! Praise God!
After praying and agreeing on a plan of action, we proceeded to open air preach and witness at the Sunrise Circle flea market to the hundreds of bargain hunters roaming the area. The loud preaching and proclamation immediately draw the attention of many, who paused their routine activity to pay attention to what the “preachers”, one by one, were declaring and reading from the Bible. Many voiced their disapproval and anger in no uncertain terms, especially the tenants who felt we were interfering with their customer base. We just ignored them and continued to preach and hand out tracts, and I’m thrilled to say that each one of the group confidently and boldly declared the Word of God to the masses! Our preaching focused primarily on the subject of death and what happens after someone dies. The interesting thing is that even though Muizenberg is a great “come together” place, with its clean beaches and feel good vibe, the local cemetery is just a few minutes away. We used this quite frequently when reminding people that the “pleasures of sin” are but for a season, but there’s coming a day when we all have to make that trip down the road. It worked!
When we were nearly done, we were approached by “officialdom” and requested to halt our proceedings as we did not have a “permit” J . After some peaceful negotiation, we were allowed to finish our preaching for the day, but were politely requested, that in the event of future preaching, that we move our “preaching location” a few meters away ( off the official flea market area) to appease the tenants that were complaining. After consideration, we decided it was not a battle worth fighting as our new “proposed” location would not hamper our attempts to draw the crowds. Interestingly enough, “officialdom” conceded that they could not prevent us in engaging in “one2one” witnessing conversations with the potential customers, or handing out tracts for that matter. Whatever!
Despite all this, there were many in the crowd who stayed the entire hour and a half and listened attentively to the preaching without moving an inch. About 4 or 5 actually called us over to talk to them privately about what they had just heard being preached, and we gladly shared with them out of the Bible the truth about Hell and God’s righteous judgment. One fellow was intensely convicted, to the point of weeping when I went through the 10 commandments with him. Please pray for Colin Charles, a Durbanite, that God might save him. There were many others who gladly received tracts and were willing to discuss the state of their souls.
We are also thankful that God connected us to some tourists from the Philippines who are also heavily engaged in outreach work and happened to be shopping at the flea market that day. They were really encouraged by our ministering and promised to pray for us and thanked us for having the boldness to share our faith. They actually videotaped some of the preaching and said they would be showing the footage to their church back home as inspiration and motivation for the rest of their congregation. All Glory to God who is setting the church on fire!
After another hour or so of witnessing and preaching on the beach, the weary but satisfied team returned with more testimonies and praise reports. Although the voices were practically shot (!) , and the limbs and bodies tired from the trip, there was a wonderful sense of “ We need to come back soon!” kind of spirit and attitude in the camp! As they say, so many souls, so little time!
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December 28, 2009 | Posted by Alex Burt Never Be Discouraged
I received a very encouraging email recently. It was from someone who heckled me daily for 2-3 years, as I preached in New Zealand back in the mid 1980’s:
“You always appeared to me to have a relationship with God that was the same as having a friendship with someone flesh and blood? Any time I have tried to talk to God, it always feels a bit artificial and I am a bit jealous of my Christian friends who seem to be able to hold a real conversation and hear the answers! I kind of ‘get it’ on an intellectual level but can’t seem to let go enough to let God in? Regards, J. M.”
I told him to go to www.livingwaters.com and to listen to “Hell’s Best Kept Secret” and “True and False Conversion.” Please keep him in your prayers.
This was 30 years ago! It reminded me that God is faithful to watch over His Word–which cannot return void. So never be discouraged as you reach out to the lost in this coming new year. Keep sowing in tears with the confident assurance that someday someone will reap in joy.
God bless,
Ray
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December 20, 2009 | Posted by Bobby 
At Living Waters, we love the Ambassadors’ Academy. It is so unique. We have seen more than 560 people receive three full days of intensive evangelism training, and this has resulted in the lives of Christians and churches being radically changed, for the glory of God.
It is because we see evangelism as the life’s-blood of this ministry, that we have been diligent to keep the fee (hotel costs, food, transport, etc.) to a bare minimum. We did this to make it affordable. However, the economy has hindered many from being part of this experience. We have, therefore, decided to subsidize the cost and bring it down from $600 to $300. It is truly a step of faith for us as a ministry.
Needless to say, we anticipate a great response to this news. So, apply today to attend one of the six Ambassadors’ Academies in 2010, and, please, encourage others to do the same!
150,000 people die every day. Those who enter eternity without knowing Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior will spend eternity in hell. The continued training of evangelists is vital to the furtherance of the gospel. Join us in this eternally-important work while there is still time.
Categories: evangelism | Tags: Ambassadors Academy, evangelism | 1 Comment »
December 15, 2009 | Posted by Peter This is an excerpt from a sermon by Art Azurdia titled, “A Clarion Call to a Worldly Christianity.” Thanks to Faith Defenders for the audio.
Categories: evangelism | Tags: evangelism | No Comments »
December 15, 2009 | Posted by admin A short clip of Bobby McCreery and Alex Nunez passing out gospel tracts at the University of Georgia/Georgia Tech football game in Atlanta, GA.
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December 12, 2009 | Posted by Alex Burt 
Thousands attend UGA football games.
It has been an exciting year for the Preach On! team. In fact it has been the first year for the Preach On! team.
More than 30,000 gospel tracts have been distributed. This includes 7 Football games and the streets of downtown Athens, GA . Members of our team have had numerous one on one conversations about spiritual things with various people in Athens over the past months. We have also been blessed to be able to Open Air preach the Gospel on several occasions. To God be the Glory!
How did this happen?
This time last year I had only lived in Georgia for 12 days. I was accustomed to going down to Tempe, AZ on any given Saturday night and seeing 6-12 street evangelists preaching, tracting, and witnessing to people. The first time I went down to Athens I was alone and very disappointed to say the least. I began to pray for a wingman to go out witnessing with me. As the weeks went by I would go down to Athens and just walk around. I only remember having one conversation and giving away a few tracts in many trips to Athens. I was in a struggle because street evangelism is difficult when flying solo, for me anyway.
5,000 SEEDS!
One day I was on facebook and I found a guy living very close to me that appeared to be a street evangelist, or at least passionate about reaching the lost. I think I sent him a friend request, then we talked, and then met in Athens one night. It was like I had known this guy my whole life. It’s really kind of creepy when I think about it. 
After the first night in Athens we began hitting the streets every weekend. We would pass out tracts, publicly read scripture and open air preach. It wasn’t long before we gained a couple of nicknames. One young man told me I was a “false prophet”. The same night an older gentleman told me I was a liar because I was giving people fake million dollar bill tracts. Once while Bobby was on the box preaching a guy walks by and yells “Eat a Salad!” (Bobby and I both are a little on the heavy side.) Therefore we call ourselves “Salad Boy and the False Prophet”. Soon, one of Bobby’s friends from his church (Scott), began going out with us. I think Scott underestimates how important he is to us!
God has blessed us with many wonderful fellow evangelists. Bobby began attending a new church and we have had the Pastor (Jeff), Youth Pastor (shout out to Peter for doing this website!), Bobby’s Sunday school teacher (Mike), and several others join us. A special thanks to Andrea for coming out and being a prayer warrior. She also brings us chocolate.
Another young man that stands out is Alex Nunez (AKA: “Little Alex” or “Scripture Man”). Bobby and I took our families to the fireworks display in Athens on the 4th of July. We picked out a spot and then Bobby and I got about the business of passing out tracts. Right before dark we read some scripture and preached the gospel. As God would have it our families were sitting right beside Alex Nunez and his friends. God has given him a desire for street evangelism so he has become a part of the Preach On! team as well.
I only asked God for a wingman and he has blessed me with a wonderful team of people to minister alongside.
Thank you all for being obedient to our Lord and Savior and for allowing me to be a part of the ministry!
Thanks for reading my ramblings. I love you all!!!!!
Preach On! …Until All Hear!
Alex
Categories: evangelism | Tags: evangelism, open air, salvation | 3 Comments »
November 19, 2009 | Posted by Peter Categories: creation, evangelism | Tags: evangelism, evolution, origin into schools | 1 Comment »
November 19, 2009 | Posted by Peter 
The Athens Banner Herald, the local newspaper in Athens, GA, where the University of Georgia is located, has written an article regarding the distribution of the 2,000 copies of The Origin of the Species with Ray Comfort’s 50-page introduction. You can read that article here.
The title could have been a bit more accurate, but overall, it is a fair article.
Categories: creation, evangelism | Tags: evangelism, evolution, origin into schools | No Comments »
