SERVICE PART 6
I'm fresh and ready to serve the Lord of the Harvest again. I gather up my invitations and say some prayers for blessing and protection at the crossroads. I pray that souls will again be touched and that God would send hungry, seeking hearts my way to receive an invitation or to hear a word of truth.
As I stand handing out invitations there are many people who just walk by. Some ignore me and others mock and make jokes. I say this because in the distance I see coming a person by the name of SID-THE-MOCKING-DEVIL-WORSHIPPER. SID is dressed in black pants and a black leather jacket. On his jacket he has emblems from his favorite heavy metal satanic rock group. SID walks by and instantly recognizes I'm working for the Lord of the Harvest. He begins to mock and blaspheme Jesus. SID says he loves the devil and hates Jesus.
SID: Hey ... it's that stupid fanatic here at the crossroads. Look at this trash and drivel he's handing out! Say, jerk, you really don't think people want that garbage do you?
ANDREW: Yes, many do want the Lord Jesus as their Saviour. I can see that you have made up your mind on where you will spend eternity.
SID'S-GIRLFRIEND: Hey man... last night I drank blood.. what do you think of that! bwhahahaha
ANDREW: Sounds like you are emotionally and spiritually deranged as well as being lost and on your way to hell.
SID: We like hell. That's where we are going to go. I don't want your God. I want nothing to do with Him. I'm friends with the devil and will live forever with him. I don't need this false Christian scum.
SID then rips up the invitation and throws it on the ground. He spits on it and then kicks the pieces with his boots.. His girlfriend puts hers in her mouth and eats it. She then lets out a loud belch. Finally they both walk off down the broad road. As they leave they screech out some more blasphemies and insults and laughs.
I can never understand why people hate God. Why would a person with even half a brain hate God? God is love and He is in the saving business! God wants people to be saved and does not want them to perish in hell. That is why He became a man and took the penalty for sin upon Himself. God has done everything He can do so people may be saved. The decision is now on the individual person to decide where to spend eternity. God has already shown His love and provided a way to heaven. Despite God's great love some people still reject and hate Him. Soon SID and his friend will be in hell unless they repent of their sin. They won't be in hell 2 seconds before they realize it is not a fun place to be. But right now at this point in their lives they are happy to act like wild and unreasonable animals.
Jude 1:
10 But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.
The next person to stop is JIMMY-GOOD-SOIL: JIMMY has never really understood the Gospel. He has heard bits and pieces of the plan of salvation. JIMMY has a healthy respect for what he has heard. However when presented with the Gospel JIMMY understands as God opens his darkened eyes. He responds and becomes a True-Christian. JIMMY is a rare person to find. Some have been known to travel Kingdom bound for years before meeting JIMMY-GOOD-SOIL. Others who are used by God in soul reaping ministry meet JIMMY's type quite often. He is a pleasant fellow to meet on the way to God's heavenly kingdom!
Ps 34:
8 O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
Ps 84:
12 O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.
Jer 17:
7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.
JIMMY: Hi what kind of invitation is this?
ANDREW: It's an invitation to the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ.
JIMMY: Sounds interesting. I've heard a bit of this before. I'd like to hear some more.
ANDREW: Ok.. I'd be glad to tell you some more. First lets look here in the Bible
Rom 3:
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Now according to this verse, WHO has sinned?
JIMMY: The Bible says ALL have sinned.
ANDREW: That's right! All have sinned. That means you, me, and all these other people walking down the broad road.
Let's look at another verse:
Rom 6:
23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Now look at this verse closely. What are the wages of sin?
JIMMY: Let's see...ummmmm. Well the wages of sin is death.
ANDREW: That's right! The wages of sin is death. This includes not only physical death but also spiritual death which is separation from God for all eternity in the lake of fire.
Now since we already saw in the first verse that ALL have sinned ... and here we see that the wages of sin is death ... what have you and I earned?
JIMMY: Since we are all sinners.. then we have all earned the wages of sin which is death.
ANDREW: Right again. Now this verse talks about a gift of God. What is that gift and who is it through?
JIMMY: This verse says the gift of God is ETERNAL LIFE... and this gift is received through the Lord Jesus Christ.
ANDREW: Right! Since we are all sinners and we have all earned death, God in His love has provided to us a gift and that gift is eternal life in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now look again at that verse. We have seen it talk about a wage and a gift. What is the difference between a gift and a wage?
JIMMY: A wage is something you earn, like a salary at a job. A gift is something freely given that is not earned in any way.
ANDREW: Right... the point of that verse is that since we are all sinners we have earned a wage and that wage is death. However, God in His love has given us a great gift of salvation and eternal life. God's gift is in the Lord Jesus Christ and what He accomplished on the cross.
Let's look at another verse:
Rev 3:
20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
Now looking at this verse ... who is knocking at the door.
JIMMY: That would be Jesus
ANDREW: Right... He is standing and knocking at the door. Now looking at the verse. IF WHO HEARS the knocking?
JIMMY: It says ANY MAN
ANDREW: Right! Now would ANY MAN include you, or me?
JIMMY: Yes of course it would.
ANDREW: OK, now what must the person do who hears the knocking?
JIMMY: It says to OPEN THE DOOR.
ANDREW: Right. If the door is opened then what happens?
JIMMY: The verse says: I will come in to him....
ANDREW: Right the verse is talking about the door to your heart. If you hear the Lord Jesus knocking and you open up the door and invite Him in.... He promises to come in.
Now if Jesus promises to come in and for some reason He didn't then would He be truthful?
JIMMY: No He wouldn't
ANDREW: Right. And we know that God does not lie so if the door is opened to our hearts we can be assured that Jesus will certainly come in ... just as He said He would.
Would you like to open the door to your heart and ask Jesus to come into your life as your Lord and Saviour?
JIMMY: Yes, I would.
ANDREW: OK, then pray along with me: Lord Jesus... I admit I'm a sinner and I repent of my sin. I confess that I am helpless and a lost sinner. Right now I open the door to my heart and I invite You to be my Lord and Saviour. I'm trusting in You alone for my salvation. Thank you for coming into my heart and for saving me from my sins. Amen.
Next.. lets look quickly at another verse:
John 1:
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Did you sincerely received the Lord Jesus into your heart as your Saviour?
JIMMY: Yes I did!
ANDREW: Based on this verse what have you become?
JIMMY: It says I became a son of God!
ANDREW: That's right. When you asked Jesus into your life, He came in! According to this verse you are now a child of God! There is an exercise I want you to do. I want you to read through the book of John and look for the promise attached to the word 'believe'. When you see the word 'believe', I want you to circle that word. Then look for the promise attached to the word believe. Also remember that the word believe also involves the concept of trusting as well as believing. There are some other things you need to do for Christian growth.
- Read the Bible on a daily basis. As you read the Bible daily you will grow and mature in Christ.
- Pray daily. Simply put, talk to God on a regular basis
- Find a good Bible believing church and attend regularly
- Witness to the lost as God gives you the opportunity.
JIMMY: OK, I'll be sure to do all those things. Thank you for telling me the Gospel in such a way that I can understand it! God bless and bye for now!
As JIMMY leaves I pray for God to bless this young Christian. I pray that JIMMY will grow in the Lord and that his commitment was sincere.
The next person I meet at the crossroads is JANE-UFO. JANE is convinced there is other life out there. She is an avid fan of the Star Trek TV shows and movies. The only difference is that she believes that it can really happen. JANE believes aliens are contacting the human race right now. One day they will be revealed to all the world and then people will realize we are in a universe filled with different life forms.
JANE: Thanks for the paper. This is about Jesus isn't it? Well I listen to the teachers of the ascended masters. They came to earth years ago in ufo's and helped start and guide the human race in its evolution.
ANDREW: That is nothing more than fairy tales. There are no ascended masters who started the human race. God is the creator and He created the heavens and the earth and put man on planet earth.
JANE: I don't know it seems too logical to me. After all today we are seeing all kinds of ufo's but the Government is hiding that fact from the general public.
ANDREW: Yes there is lots of ufo activity but that doesn't mean spacemen from other planets. The Bible talks about the devil who rebelled against God. When he fell he took 1/3 of the angels with him. Those angels became demons. The ufo activity is nothing more than demon activity. Yes they can communicate to man through spiritism. That is the same method people today talk to ufo beings.
JANE: I don't know. We live in a big universe. It's hard to believe that we are the only ones here. There must be life that evolved on the billions and billions of other planets out there.
ANDREW: One day God will destroy both the heavens and the earth and recreate a new one. Why would God allow all kinds of alien life on other planets if He plans to destroy the universe and create a new one? The Bible says:
2 Pet 3:
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
Right now God is in the business of saving souls. God became a man, died on the cross, paid for our sins, and purchased a place in heaven which He now offers as a gift. My point is that one day God will destroy the heavens and the earth. Yes there are other beings than just humans. God also created angels and some of the fallen angels became demons.
JANE: I don't know about that.
ANDREW: The goal of the devil is to keep you away from the Lord Jesus and the free salvation He offers. If the devil can do that by making you believe in spacemen then it is a job-well-done. The goal is for you to die without Jesus as your Saviour. Don't let the devil deceive you and keep you away from the Saviour!
JANE: I don't know about these things. All I know is that we have made contact with UFO's and that is a fact that cannot be denied!
ANDREW: Let me give you some additional information about UFO's. The Bible warns that before the return of the Lord Jesus at the consummation of this age there will be a manifestation of the powers of darkness on earth. Satan and his demons will perform 'signs and lying wonders' with the goal of deceiving mankind. The Bible says: "And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness" (2 Thess. 2:8-12).
There is a great deception coming into the world. All who reject the truth of the Gospel of salvation by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ will believe this lie. Could UFO's and contact with alien beings be a part of this deception? I think it is! The following are the major beliefs or Theology of UFO'ology:
1) God is not a personal being. God is an impersonal force
2) The Bible is not God's only revelation to man
3) The Lord Jesus Christ is not the only Saviour
4) There is no eternal punishment or hell
5) There is no resurrection from the dead
6) Man himself can evolve from planet to planet to perfection by reincarnation
The nature of UFO'ology can also be seen in that the world of the occult (psychics, mediums, etc.) has embraced UFO's and contact with 'alien beings'. The occultists frequently speak about our 'friendly' space brothers who wish to help mankind with their superior knowledge and technology. They make contact with ufo's by using old fashioned occultic spiritism.
The Bible warns: "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils" (1 Tim. 4:1). The theology of UFO'ology is contradictory and hostile to Biblical Christianity. YOU MUST MAKE A CHOICE JANE! The Bible says:
"...choose you this day whom ye will serve;...but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" (Josh. 24:15).
JANE: Thanks for telling me these things. I certainly have lots to think about.
ANDREW: Please consider Jesus because He is the Saviour and the ONLY way to God.
As JANE leaves I pray for God to open her mind and save her. She is deceived by the current trend toward ufo's and the godless theology associated with it. You see if ufo's are true and they put us here and are guiding the human race then the Bible can be put in the trash can. That is the goal of the devil. If he can get someone to believe a fairy tale and end up dying without the Lord Jesus Christ then he has succeeded. Today many people have substituted fiction for fact. They believe in the fairy tale of evolution and get involved in science fiction. The end result is their belief that God does not exist and that humans have evolved with all kinds of alien species in the universe. Right now one of those alien species is making contact with the human race. These poor deceived people believe this fairy tale with all their hearts. When they die without the Lord Jesus as Saviour then they will die in their sins. They will quickly learn that God IS and that they died without the Saviour. An eternity in hell is the result of this type of deception. It is a growing deception in these last days with many believing in evolution and ufo's.
Next I see a pretty girl approach me. Her name is HONEY-COMMON-LAW. HONEY is a girl that is currently living with a man outside of the marriage relationship. She hopes one day to marry the man and she feels the only way to hold this man is to give him what he wants. So she lowers herself to be put into a position to give him the benefits of a wife without the commitment. Her man is happy and unknown to HONEY, he really does not want to get married. After all HONEY is not the type of girl most men want to marry. They are playthings to be used and then thrown away when finished. When her man wants to settle down he wants a girl who has some self respect. But HONEY is in denial so she picks this loser and hangs on to a blind hope that one day he will want to marry her.
HONEY: Hi, I read one of these invitations the other day. I even showed it at home to my boyfriend. We are even considering getting up on Sundays and going to church. One day we hope to get married but right now we are living together.
ANDREW: You really should not be living in sin. Marriage is a good goal and just living common law and letting your boyfriend get the benefits of marriage without the commitment is foolish on your part. Here is what the Bible says:
Heb 13:
4 Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.
HONEY: Well I know what you mean and I want to get married too. But he told me that right now he is not ready for a marriage relationship.
ANDREW: If he is not ready for the covenant of marriage then you are wasting your time spending time with this loser. You need to break up and move out on your own. Then find a man who loves you enough to want to marry you. Many girls want a man and live in denial. The tie in with a loser and will not accept the fact that he is just using you. If he is not ready for a marriage relationship then don't try to change his mind by giving him the other goodies of the marriage relationship. Get away from him as you are just his play toy. You are something to be used for now. Later when something better comes along he will just move on to greener pastures.
HONEY: I never really looked at it that way. I hoped that over time I could change his mind.
ANDREW: You won't be able to do that. He already told you what he believes when he told you he is not ready for a marriage covenant with you. He is really saying that he does not want to marry you.. Don't fool yourself. Get out of that relationship and find a man who really loves you enough to wait for marriage. That is a good goal to shoot for.
HONEY: Okay, I know what you mean and I'll consider it.
ANDREW: Here are some points about marriage I want you to consider:
GOD'S WORD SAYS MARRIAGE IS HONORABLE
Hebrews 13:
4 Marriage [is] honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.
MARRIAGE IS A PERMANENT BOND BETWEEN HUSBAND AND WIFE
Matthew 19:
5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
1 Corinthians 7:
10 And unto the married I command, [yet] not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from [her] husband:
11 But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to [her] husband: and let not the husband put away [his] wife.
MARRIAGE IS DISSOLVED BY DEATH
Romans 7:
2 For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to [her] husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of [her] husband.
THE HUSBAND'S DUTY
Ephesians 5:
25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
Colossians 3:
19 Husbands, love [your] wives, and be not bitter against them.
1 Peter 3:
7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with [them] according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.
THE WIFE'S DUTY
Ephesians 5:
21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
Colossians 3:
18 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.
Proverbs 14:
1 Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.
Proverbs 31:
10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price [is] far above rubies.
11 The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.
12 She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.
Proverbs 31:
30 Favour [is] deceitful, and beauty [is] vain: [but] a woman [that] feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.
LOVE, COMMITMENT, AND OBEDIENCE TO GOD AND HIS WORD IS NECESSARY IN MARRIAGE
Ephesians 4:
31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
James 1:
22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
HONEY: That is what I want one day. A good marriage relationship and some children.
ANDREW: Great.. now don't forget you need to accept Jesus as your Saviour. We are all sinners in need of a Saviour and when we die we will spend eternity in either heaven or hell. We decide where we will go by either accepting or rejecting Jesus.
HONEY: Okay I'll consider what you've said but I can't commit to anything right now.
ANDREW: The point to remember is there is only one way to heaven and Jesus is the only way. Don't put off accepting the Lord Jesus because we never know when death will come. Right now everyone is either saved or lost and it is based on the way to either heaven or hell.
As HONEY left I was glad she listened about the bum she was living common law with. I prayed for God to convict HONEY of the truth she heard. I prayed she would see her great need for a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Next WILLIAM-WORKS stopped by to chat. He believes the common deception that good works can merit salvation. He is now working for his salvation. WILLIAM believes when he dies his good works will be put into some kind of huge scale. On the one side will be his good works and on the other will be his bad works. He is convinced if the scale tips toward the side of his good works then he will be saved and allowed entrance into heaven. He prides himself in being a 'good' person and sees no reason why God would not let him enter heaven.
WILLIAM: Hey, I believe in Jesus too! Yes I'm very involved in all kinds of good things and I'm sure God will accept me when I die.
ANDREW: Are you sure you are saved? If you were to die to day do you know for CERTAIN that you have eternal life and would go to heaven?
WILLIAM: Well I think so. I'm not a really bad guy or anything.
ANDREW: Let me ask you another question: Lets say you did die and stand before God and He asked you, Why should I let you into my heaven? .... What would you say to God?
WILLIAM: Well I would say I'm very involved in my Church. And I have helped all kinds of people and done a lot of good things with my life. That should be enough to get into heaven.
ANDREW: Do you know that the Bible talks about our good works. God says that our good works are as filthy rags before Him. See here:
Isa 64:
6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
WILLIAM: I don't know what to say about that.
ANDREW: The Bible also says that we are not saved in any way by our good works. Works have no part in our salvation. Here is what God says:
Eph 2:
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
You see we are saved apart from works. Works have no part in our salvation. If they did then Jesus would not have to die on the cross. We would just have to do some good works and merit our salvation. However, the Bible states that we are completely lost and helpless in our sin. We all NEED the Saviour (Jesus) because we cannot save ourselves.
WILLIAM: I see what you are saying but I remember a verse in the book of James that clearly states that faith without works is dead.
ANDREW: True, I have no problem with that. You see true saving faith produces good works just as naturally as an apple tree produces apples. However, it is not the works that save. First there is salvation and then as a result of saving faith good works are the result. James is saying that if a person claims to be saved then where are the works? If a person says he is saved but has no good works then it is very possible that person was never saved in the first place. Look at these verses again:
Eph 2:
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Notice verse 10. We are created UNTO good works. Previously we are told that good works have no part in salvation in verses 8,9. Then in verse 10 good works are mentioned in the context of a ministry AFTER salvation has already occurred.
So good works clearly do not save a person at all. Salvation is a gift of God that is to be accepted by faith through a repentant heart. Once that occurs the person is saved. After salvation God has a job for His people to do. This is where the true saving faith produces good works.
WILLIAM: So you are saying that we are saved by faith alone.
ANDREW: Yes that is what the Bible clearly says. I repeat... works do not save. We cannot earn or merit our salvation in any way. If we could save ourselves by good works then Jesus did not need to die on the cross. Instead we would just do good works and merit our own salvation. But the Bible says differently. We are lost sinners unable to save ourselves by works of any kind. Look at this verse:
Rom 6:
23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Notice that there is the wages of sin and the gift of God which is eternal life. Now if we have to earn a gift by doing good works then is the gift still a gift?
WILLIAM: No you cannot earn a gift.
ANDREW: Right as soon as we have to earn a gift then it is not a gift. Instead the gift becomes a wage that we can earn. Salvation is a gift and not a wage that we can earn or merit by good works.
WILLIAM: That is something to think about. Can you know for sure you are saved?
ANDREW: Yes, the Bible clearly says:
I Jn 5:
10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.
11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
See here. That ye may KNOW that ye have eternal life. It is possible to know for certain that you have eternal life. If a person has received Jesus as Saviour then they have eternal life. There are only two types of people here on earth. They are the saved and the lost. If a person has Jesus as their Saviour they are saved. If a person does not have Jesus as their Saviour then they are lost and still in their sins. See here:
John 3:
36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
WILLIAM: Those are all good points. I'm going to go home and go over those verses you showed me and decide for myself. I want to be in right standing with God and if works do not saved then I want to be saved by faith. Thanks for the information and see you later.
As WILLIAM left I prayed for God to open his mind as he studies the Scriptures. I pray he will understand that works do not save and that all he needs to do is to accept God's love gift in the Lord Jesus Christ. Many people on the broad road are trusting in their own good works to save them from hell. That deception is one of the devil's greatest. Pride in the heart of the lost refuses to believe that salvation cannot be merited. It is sinful pride to believe one can earn or merit his own salvation. However the Bible clearly says that we are all hopelessly lost sinners in need of a Saviour.