Saved from What? Ministries

XXX Church, Things you must know, a first hand account

noreply@blogger.com (Benjamin Davis) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 23:46:00 +0000

We were at gay pride today and i got to speak with a person from xxx church about evangelism. Let me set the stage. There was a Gay friendly church called Trinity UMC that had signs up promoting that "God loves everbody" and "whosover means everyone." They were welcoming homosexuals. I was on the opposite corner, very close to them, and decided I was going to open air. This wasn't just any open air, this was a 90% scripture 10% preaching/explanation open air. I wanted to let the word speak for itself. I raised my voice loud enough for them to hear, but I was being very careful. As I began, you could see there eyes rolling and their heads shacking. I was only reading scripture, it was the words of God they hated. I gave a balanced message, I did mention homosexuality in a few passages, but not just focusing on that one sin. I even smiled when preaching about Jesus imploring everyone to come and lay down ALL their sin.

As I was still preaching, I recognized Craig Gross from xxx church. He had a frined with a camera. The minute I saw him, I knew exactly what he was going to do. He interviewed me with the purpose of thinking Im a typical hell fire, no grace, street preacher. He was trying to provoke me. He started by asking me what I was doing and why I was doing it. My answers were very scriptural and grace centered. I emphasized my desire for all to come to repentance and be saved, telling him that knowing that the scripture teaches that homosexuals will not inherit the kingdom of god (1 corinthians 6:9-11) and that I would be a terrible person if I barred the kingdom of heaven by not telling the truth. I also explained that Galatians 1 speaks of being accursed for preaching a diffrent Gospel, and the UMC gay church was preaching a wrong gospel ACCORDING TO SCRIPTURE.

He then began to ask me on camera why we as christians were arguing?(he was calling the gay methodists christians.) I explained that true christians have repented and turned from all sin. He was trying to make me the bad guy and insinuating that I was doing things the wrong way. I answered all his questions with scripture and was very grace centered with my bible in my hand and he asked "If Jesus were here, would he be on my corner or the other one?" I told him he would be where his word is proclaimed rightly. He then went over to talk to the other folks and get some footage for himself.

Now the interesting things happened. After they wer finished, I went over and asked them (offcamera) what they do with the concept of God hating people?(Psalm 7:11,psalm 11:5, etc. they have a new book called God Loves you and harp on that alot.) Craig said in short that he believes most of the OT law was done away with (Matt 5:17-20 Jesus didn't come to abolish the Law.) He was asking "Why do you come here and focus on this one sin?" I explained that I personally go to alot of diffrent events, even christian ones, and speak about Christ. I continued that I was speaking a balanced message of Law and Grace and that I wasn't focused on this one sin alone, but that it is a sin and needs to be spoken about. Craig replied and said that Jesus was only harsh with the relegious, other than that he was kind. I brought in the woman at the well and how Jesus pointed out her sin specifically and the rich young ruler how Jesus spoke directly to his sin (Mark 10:17-22, and John 4:10-12). He didn't really respond to that. He went on about how we are not effective.

He believes that Jesus never preached, he just made relationships with people and as they were open he shared. I brought up the sermon on the mount with look of shock on my face. I couldn't believe that hew was saying this. He also asked me for 1 verse where Jesus condemns homosexuals, and there isnt directly one, so I brought up romans 1. He said "NO, thats paul, I wan't a verse from Jesus." He went explain He believes that Jesus words in red are higher above paul and peters. (Jesus quouted the OT as sripture and 2 tim 3:16-17 says ALL scripture is inspired.) He couldn't pin me like he wanted. I am not a heartless screamer, I am beggar who has found bread telling other beggars where to find bread.

He went on to say that the Bible is a book for christians and unbelievers don't want to hear the word, thats why we must make disciples. (He is using make disciples to mean befriend lost people and hang with them and they are your disciple, at least thats how he used it in our conversation.) I asked him where faith comes from? Romans 10 declares Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ. Where is the word of Christ unbelievers need? IN THE BIBLE!!!!!! I told him the word of God teaches men hate the light becuase there deeds are exposed. He was judging my brothers like crazy. Our brothers with signs (resonable sign guys), he was saying they aren't effective in reaching people. My buddy shot back by saying "have you ever held a sign and had people come to you?" He said no. He said the days of tracts and open air are gone and that speaking with people about Jesus Christ the way Paul did isn't effective. We must make disciples (befriend lost people) and eventually they will ask us.

I write this so others will have information of his theology. If you are questioning its reliability, email him at his site about his beliefs and email me about mine. I am not promoting a book, im not making money off this. People need to know this. At their booth they handed out bracelets that said "We're sorry." My buddy Keith asked them exactly what it meant? The lady at the booth said they were sorry that the relegious have condemned the homosexuals and told them they are going to hell. Even if a person says that with a wrong tone, it is TRUE from scripture that Homosexuality is a sin. I desire all men to come to Jesus, Thats why I go. Even in a dark place like this, I Go with the gospel of peace and a heart full of love. Pray that God would save ALL Gay people and that these people from xxx church would repent. God Bless

THINGS MUST CHANGE!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Benjamin Davis) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 22:42:00 +0000

Luke 9:23-26
Take Up the Cross and Follow Him

23 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily,[a] and follow Me. 24 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. 25 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? 26 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels.

1 John 1:5-6

5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

Surely the original audience understood that this verse clearly teaches its ok to go to hear the music about the goddess Diana. Most definitely they knew it was ok to buy carved idols because they look really cool. Surely they understood that they could yell and cheer with worshippers of Baal, Or does these passages mean what they say? If you went to witness at the KISS concert, you would have thought that the first 3 were the proper interpretation. I have become more and more grieved for those who profess Christ and attend concerts that are 100%, absolutely demonic. Now I admit that there are many secular bands that are morally nuetral, and I think we can wrangle over this. KISS overtly promotes sexuall immorality and I know becuase I used to listen and play their music, thats right I actually do know it.

Light has nothing to do with Darkness. NOTHING. Now the scriptures clearly teach we are here to witness, and that does involve time and contact with the lost, but not participating in SIN! Now think of this concert. It doesn't start with buying a ticket and putting on makeup. It starts with following after the things of the world, perhaps turning on the radio or internet. Then, allowing something that appeals to the flesh to take hold, in this case, buying some cd's. What we put into our minds influences us for the devil or for Jesus Christ. In the scriptures, there is no middle ground.

I was holding the God Loves/God Hates sign and started chatting with Nelson. He played musical intstruments and so do I, so we talked about that. He had bought a premium ticket for $1,000 to meet the band and get front row. He asked what I was doing and I said I was spreading the Gospel. He said that was good and told me he was a christian. He did acknowledge that sounded weird to be a christian and go into a KISS concert. He said he was a pentecostal and his pastor liked Elvis. This was a great conversation, he actually asked me what I thought about a christian going into the KISS concert. THANK YOU JESUS!!!! I told him it doesn't matter what anyone says but God and and God says Darkness has nothing to do with light. I talked about that and talked about KISS and compared their message with scripture. I really challenged him and told him I cared about him and assured him that if he continues in sin, he is not saved. I urged him to throw his tickets away and go home if he really loved Jesus. I didn't say it, but I thought about saying "Go and turn from worldly pleasures to Christ and you will have treasure in heaven." Now my tone was proper, and I shared my testimony to him. I was in rock bands and I had to turn from wicked music because it is opposed to Jesus. Jesus doesn't withhold the Joys of Music from us, he gave a whole book in the Psalms. Jesus cares for us and wants us to have him, not worldly knockoffs of true joy. He wouldn't turn from his sin. He wouldn't leave his sin behind. The conversation was friendly, he listened to me and I told him I really cared about him.

I am sick and tired of seeing crosses inbetween the cleavage of badly dressed women. I handed a tract to one of those ladies passin by, and she replied in a very sweet voices "Oh god bless you sweetie." And I agree, they don't know, and I do sincerely echo the words of Jesus "Forgive them Father for they don't know what they're doing." The terrible thing is this, they are full accountable to God. I am not saying scream at them and call them names, but for the Glory of God, TELL THEM THE TRUTH!!! I am guilty as anyone else, probably even more, but we must stop all this superficial living and tell our lost friends the Good news of the Gospel and share the truth with relegious people who love sin. WE MUST!!! And it starts with us. We are not bigtime bookwriters, we are not high profile evengelicals, we are not well speaking businessmen, we are not crafty solicitors. WE ARE AMBASSADORS OF JESUS CHRIST. Everyone who is a christian is an ambassador. Take the news to the deli man at the grocery store, take the news to your neighbors, whatever we do we must take the news and teach people the truth.

I agree they are ignorant, but their sin is cosmic rebellion against the KING and it will land them in the Lake of Fire. I am not joyful about that, God is willing that none should perish and so should we, and especially to my beloved calvanist bretheren, don't think so highly of Gods soverenty that you can't see youre responsibiblity. If we think so high of his soverenty and don't recognize the human responsibility that God has given us as christians, We haven't seen his sovernty like we think we have. His soverenty is great and his commands are a delight to all who name his name. That is not an attack on my reformed brothers, think of it is as some balance.

It is also time that pastors preach very practical things from there exposition of scriputre. Im not saying stop deep theological expostion, im saying help us as sheep to understand these things. Take the cost of discipleship, Imagine a pastor was to say in summary "you must give up things to follow Christ." Question, what things? I know the answer having been born again 5 years ago, but there are many who don't. Get specific and don't be afraid to preach against worldly media, not in a legalisic way but in a Christ and Gospel centered way. Let us be found faithful.

approaching evil

noreply@blogger.com (Benjamin Davis) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 01:53:00 +0000

We approach Gay Pride this week and to be honest, I don't have a heavy heart. I am praying the Lord will give me a supernatural Love for those who hate him the same as he loved me. In years past, there has been an overwhelming emotion to just cry, right there in the park in front of everyone, just weeping over souls. In Romans chapter 1 we find this sin to be one in which the unbeliever rails against God continually and God gives them over to the desire of their heart to the sin of homosexuality.

We must go with a heart of love. If we step onto the park without, we might as well leave. 2 peter 3:9 states that God is willing that none should perish. Our attitudes should reflect that truth. We must remember that we are representing Jesus Christ and when the Gay people see and hear us, they should see and hear Christ in us.

This is a hard word. Before you look sternly at someone and proclaim "unless you repent, you will perish," ask yourself, is that tone the way Jesus would proclaim to that particular person? There are all diffrent kinds of people in the scriptures. There were those whom Jesus gave a stern warning, and Im not against stern warnings. There are others whom Jesus was compassionate and more gracious in tone, still proclaiming the truth of the Gospel, never comprimising.

In Short, Let us think of Jesus. Let us be sensitive to the individual homosexuals we speak with. As we speak with them, let us think of the scriptures and how did Jesus deal specifically with this type of person. Its easy to stand on a street corner and scream repent uncontrollably. Its alot harder to talk to an individual and be sensitive to that person, responding to them accordingly. I am not promoting squishiness, Im promoting Christ. It is amazing how Jesus deals diffrently with a humble person, seeker, tax collector, relegious person, etc.

He never changed the message, but he was sensitive to his hearer. Let us go as dying men speaking to other dying men about Christ. Let us give law to the proud and grace to the humble. Let us sternly rebuke the relegious and have love and compassion on the humble and broken hearted. Let us pray this week that God would keep us faithful if there be persecution and let us pray even now he would work in the hearts of people we will come across. To God alone be the Glory.

I am now a Father

noreply@blogger.com (Benjamin Davis) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 11:39:00 +0000

Its been a little while since I've written, our son was born on september 26th and its been a roller coaster ride of new experiences. I feel that I am changing in some ways from this experience. I want to share some musings. There are times when a child is crying uncontrollably and you can't do much. This happened this morning and I thought of the patience of God for us. Now there is NO theological link, im just saying what has come to mind. Just as you love a crying baby and will stay up with him till he sleeps, God is patient with his children when they are whining. God shows us grace and mercy and even when we sin.

I have thought of the Great love of God for Mankind. As tony miano says in his preaching, If you a guilty criminal could go free if I were to give my son over to death for you, I couldn't do that. I can't love a rotten criminal that much, But God the Father so loved us filthy rebelious wretches, he gave us the greatest, most precious gift of the sacrifice of his son for us. I feel as if I understand that love of God for his son a little better, even though I could never fully comprehend it.

I feel the great and awesome responsibility of Shepherding a child to the cross. Not just telling him the way, not just showing him one day, but daily living and teaching it to him. It was overwhelming, but now I just take it one day at a time. As a 24 year old, im frustrated because I want everything to happen now. This has truly been a wonderful experience.

John 3

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”

God loves, God Hates part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Benjamin Davis) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 01:18:00 +0000

I was re reading my post from a few months ago on this, and somthing needs to be said about the God hates part. Though God does hate all workers of iniquity and is angry with the wicked everyday, God even has grace and mercy on them. When they blaspheme his name, he continues to give them air. When they suppress the truth in unrighteousness, he continues to give them food to eat and clothes to wear. When they murder babies by the millions, He allows them to see the sunshine, and smell the roses. God is also longsuffering and willing that none should perish. The offer of the Gospel is free to all men, When Christ uttered "Father forgive them, they know not what they do," I don't believe he just talking about the elect. Gods hatred is diffrent than ours.

If I hated you, I wouldn't do anything to benifit you. Our God is merciful even on those who hate him in a way that we don't fully understand. Even while God hates the wicked, salvation is still offered to them. I rejoice in these truths thinking of my own salvation. God was patient. Praise be to God.

Fruits of Labor

noreply@blogger.com (Benjamin Davis) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 00:50:00 +0000

Many of you know I have commited myself to a skate park in hamilton mill. Its just a great place to go. I was able to go out last week and I get nervouse, so I have a habit of sitting on a bench and reading some scripture before I preach or evangelize. As I was heading toward a bench, a voice called out "Hey, do you have any million dollar bills?" I looked and there was a 10 year old kid, and I didn't have any, but I told him I got somthing better. I gave him a gospel of John and told him to put it in his pocket and take it out and read every so often, he skated away.

I then read some scripture on the bench to focus my attention on the Lord, and I decided to open air. I had to get a bottle of water, my throat gets very dry. I went to get a water and Taj (a young black man) said "hey, can I borrow a dollar?" I was going to give it to him, but I shot back "Borrow, when are you going to give it back?" He said "Next time I see you." I replied "You don't even know me dude." He said something that really got to me, he said "Yeah I do know you, youre the preacher man." He knew me, he knew I come and talk to people about Christ, after all this time and energy thinking no one is listening and no one cares, he knows me. I bought him chips and a coke and offered a tract, I began talking about spiritual things and we sat down and I got my bible out. Taj was a classic american. Grew up in a "christian home" with bible on his shelves and DIDN'T know the main message of the Bible. I began to explain God creating the world and us for his glory, then sin, etc. He started fidgeting alot after the Law, he wasn't comfortable. I got to hell and explained it and asked him if there was a way of escape from the wrath of God, would you want to know about it? He said no. I was heart broken and asked why. He said he deserves to be in hell becuase of his sin and if God just let him go that wouldn't be right. AMEN. He understood Gods justice. I gave him the good news of Christ and focused heavily on the fact that it is Just and how God is both Just and the Justifier of many. He wasn't ready to repent, but he was still fidgeting, but listening. He was startled, praise God.

Saturday night, I got the privelege of taking a soldier out witnessing at the skate park, and it was fantastic, 2 stories really stick out. One is about a young man named Keithon. I have handed him tons of tracts, he is there skating all the time, but we've never chatted much. I actually got in a conversation with him by asking why people don't wear helmets and he responded that many don't, becuase they know how to fall. We chatted a few minutes and I swung to the spiritual and he really sincerely opened up to me. He is post modern to the bone. I took him through some analogies to show the absurdity of post modern thinking and began talking about truth. I have a new general definintion for truth. truth is the acknowledgement and acceptance of facts based in reality. You cant just recognize truth, you must believe it. Truth must be based on facts, real facts and I explained to him the claims of Jesus are the same way. I used apologetics for the proof of the Bible and our chat was cut short, but gave him a summary of the gospel and gave him my card and challenged him to email me and I would send him all the evidence for the Bible he could ever dream of. He hasn't ofcourse, but I really pray he will.

I finally got to open air, and its a passion of mine and I don't get to do it much. I began by reading romans 1 becuase there was a fight that broke out resulting in cops showing up and then went into to romans 3. I open aired a typical Law/Grace message,and there were about 4 loafing around and listening, but afterward I had the privelege to sit with one of those young men and explain the Law and the Gospel to him and speak with him about His need to repent. It was incredible.

God has really blessed me by opening these doors, and I'm so thankful my commitment to this park has begun to pay off. At a recent Christian concert a young man that Keith and I witnessed to about a year ago said he had since repented and trusted Christ. I wish I had more time to commit, and I have this Idea to do a bible study in the park (or any park where there is people) for christians, but if you do it in the park open air style other people are bound to come and listen for minute. Baby is coming so that is my main focus now, hmmmm, how can I let the wife let me go saturday night this week.

remember the sabbath day

noreply@blogger.com (Benjamin Davis) — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 14:47:00 +0000

I am writing primarily to brothers on facebook whom have misunderstood my sabbath observance thing. I want to tell you the whole story how this came about. First, a dear brother was with other brothers who remember and keep the sabbath, but are evangelical christians. Kind of like seventh day baptists, Not Seventh day adventist. My brother in Christ then came home and showed me these things in the Bible and I started to become convinced That Gentiles should remember and keep the sabbath, the same way Gentile believers after conversion don't lie, steal or covet becuase they love their savior Jesus Christ.

First from scripture, there is the sabbath in the creation account, before jews and gentiles where God rests from his creation on the seventh day. Obviously God wasn't tired, he is God, but it is in the creation account. Next we have Exodus 16, which pre-dates the 10 commandments, Where the sabbath was to be kept and yes this was to the nation of israel. Next you have exodus 20 and the 10 commandments, the moral law. My understanding is that the moral law never ends. Also, God in general is very specific about how he is to be worshipped in the OT and the day the sabbath is to be observed is the seventh day, which is the equivelant in our calendar is friday night to saturday night.

Now I do understand that there are many,many,many rules about the sabbath in the old testament. Then we get to the new testament and Jesus said that he came not to abolish the law but to fulifill it. Now the releigous people of the day did abuse the sabbath and Jesus corrected them. Jesus observed the sabbath in the gospels. Now, Jesus dies and is resurected on sunday. After his death. there are a few texts that talk about meeting on the first day, Acts 20:7 is one of them and they did meet on the first day of the week to break bread and hear preaching, no doubt about it.

There are some other texts that talk about gathering offerings on the first day, and John being in the spirit on the Lords day, but these texts I don't believe are adequate to say that there is now an observance of the "Lords day" as opposed to the sabbath. And I firmly belive Jesus is Lord of the sabbath and that he fulfilled the law, but even though he fullfilled the law, we come to Jesus in our sin, repenting and believing, then out of love for God with our new nature, we naturally keep the things in the law. We don't want to lie and offend God, or steal or lust becuse we love our saviour. *I am not suggesting observing the Sabbath becuase we must fullfill a legal requirment for salvation, I am not saying that at all.*

Here is the skinny that im thinking. The moral law, 10 commandments are clear. Salvation by grace through faith is very clear. the Sabbath being the seventh day is clear. The idea of a change from the sabbath to Lords day observance is not clear. That is what I am seeing. Now please understand I have not come to a definitive conclusion, I am doing as the bereans, searching the scriptures to see if these things are so. I have just been confronted with something that seems to be true, and i am going to the Word of God and the Word ALONE for the answer. I welcome you into the discussion with me, but please understand, I am in no way abandoning Jesus to attempt to keep 600+ laws, What I am becoming convinced of is that I should observe the sabbath the same as I don't lie, steal, look with lust.

Acts 15 the Jerusalem council must only have been about a few issues, in the apostles response, they didn't say "and teach them not to lie, not to steal, to obey parents, etc." They seem to be only concerned with a few matters their given their response. Collosians 2 and a few other texts state let no man judge you in sabbath, new moon or festival, etc. My understanding of these passages seems to be that he is refering to the festivals, ceremonies, and other sabbaths that were fullfilled in Christ. I am not making a case that we should keep the festivals, ceremonies and other sabbaths.

Now I will be honest and also write that there is no warning in the new testament that sabbathbreakers wont inherit the kingdom of God, why is there not. I have no idea, but I can only be honest and say its not there. We dont have sections of scripture where the gentile believers are being taught to obey sabbath, I acknowledge this to be true.

My email is Benjamind105@gmail.com and feel free to tell me your thoughts, but only from scripture, I don't care about mans opinions. If you send me church history, include scripture, or I will not read/look at it. Church history can only be called right if it followed the scriptures in whatever area. Please only send me things related to my issues, I don't disagree that Jesus is our sabbath rest or that he is Lord of the Sabbath, that is not my issue, My issue is observance of the 4th commandment, not out of legalism for salvation, but love for my savior. God Bless.

P.s. don't gossip about this, talk strait to me.

Reflections from the Joel Osteen outreach

noreply@blogger.com (Benjamin Davis) — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 14:00:00 +0000

2 Timothy 4:3-4 (New King James Version)

3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables

This is a truth that we have a hard time with. I admit that on some level I do. We think "oh, if they only really knew what he was teaching," or we say "they are just decieved and don't know any better." Now, both of these statements are true, but, this portion of scripture states that those who heap up false teachers, WANT TO LISTEN TO THEM. It's kind of like the fact that men are spiritually dead, but God holds those dead men responsible for their sin. On some level, it doesn't make sense humanly speaking, but the real question is what does Gods Word say and there we find the perfect answer and understanding.

I was very excited to be joined by a family in our church. They brought all their kids and they had a great time. We handed out all our material within 25 minutes. I had 200 kirk cameron cd's, another friend had 200 paul washer cd's. I had 250 tracts for the occasion and they all were given away. It is so easy to hand out things at a "Christian" event.

In reflecting on this passage as I was there, it made me look diffrently at people. A local word of faith minister attended and I got to preach to him. As I saw him I thought, based on the scripture, He wants to be hear hearing a gushy gospel. He doesn't want to be at a place right now that is properly expositing the scripture, he wants to be here. That really changes your perspective.

One man was trying to defend Joel osteen and we told him about the larry king live interview where joel answers every single question with "I don't know." The man was actually startled and asked where to get it. We told him to go on youtube and seee for himself. I handed a CD to a lady carrying a MacArthur study bible and I thought lady you couldn't have 2 teachers so far from one another. I wonder if she read the notes when joel mentioned verses.

The best part of the night for me was the open air preaching. I had the stool and we were right in front of the line and they could clearly hear us. I preached on suffering. The word of faith movement widely believes that the atonement paid for physical suffering and that it is not normal for a christian to suffer. I preached passages from peter and mentioned Job alot. As I reflected on the open air later, here are a few thoughts, and i understand that those reading this may not agree with open air. Picture this, I am on a box, in front of a crowd and Im being clearly heard. I am raising my voice so they can hear, not yelling, and not yelling "your going to hell, sinner" in an unreasonable way. What im preaching are the scriptures and the proper interpretation of scripture. When they hear me and snark, they are not snarking at me, they are mocking God.

Now you may not agree with open air, but if you were in line at an event downtown and a man got on a box and preached the gospel in a fair and balanced way, you would at the least say "I don't like the method, but he is preaching truth." You wouldn't snark and make fun. You wouldn't curse at the guy, you wouldn't find a way to mock him. Thats what they did to me. I saw it on their faces and heard it in their snickers, But as I said, I read and preached the scriptures. Gods word is what says we will suffer. You can disagree with me all day long, but when a man reads the word of god and you disagree, your a hating God.

My motive for the preaching was so that Gods word would be heard, in hope that they would think about it and look it up. You can go hear a man talk about health, wealth and abundance all day long, but when you come back to reality, when you come back to the real world where jobs are being lost, where cancer and disease are ravaging human life, where wicked men do business for dishonest gains, where suffering is real then the only thing that stands true is the Word of God. My desire it to lift him up, not me. To preach a Gospel centered around Jesus Christ, and to do nothing but magnify him and make him known.

Pray for those who are decieved by men like this, and do something about it. That coworker reading those bad "christian" books, talk to that coworker. That family member trusting in religion, share the Good news with them. Those strangers in your community running as fast as they can toward false teachers, do something. In reference to evangelism Charles spurgeon said "Do something, Do something, Do something."

Monday

noreply@blogger.com (Benjamin Davis) — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 13:47:00 +0000

Something happened to me this week that I never thought would happen. I want to share it with you in hopes that you would be blessed and pray for me. It was Monday Morning. I went to the A/C supply house to fax my paperwork and get supplies for the day. As I was talking with the counter guys, they asked a question and I began whining and complaining about things in the company. You know what I mean, how the office and its procedures aren't the best, yada yada yada. I went on for about 12 minutes. Another Employee of mine came in. He was on call and I asked him about the weekend. I complained to him a little and then he said to me "did you hear about our salesman this weekend?" I didn't. Immideately I went into gossip mode. "Did he quit, did they fire him?"

My coworker responded "He Died saturday." My heart sank in a way I have never felt. This man was about 55 years old. He was my service manager at one time and I called him for alot of technical questions. He was always polite and a really nice guy. He then became a salesman and we spoked frequently. I would write up repairs and replacements and he would call me about them to get details.

I didn't believe this man to be a christian, and I never shared the gospel with him. Monday morning was a life changing experience. I hear in sermons how life change drastically at a moment in time, but ive never really experienced that. I never thought it would happen to me. The sadness and guilt I felt was tremendous. I was intensely sad to the point of tears over his death and extremely guilty because I had many oppurtunities and I never opened my mouth.

Something a christian brother said disturbed me. He said "you know, because God is sovereign, that means it wasn't a part of Gods plan for you to share with him." He said this to comfort me and I appreciate his effort, but this saying has bad implications. I would agree that God Deecreed and allowed me NOT to share with him. But the main point is this, Does the scripture command me to share or not to share? The reaveled will of God in his word Is that I should have.

The scripture is also clear that if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us. I belive that and I have asked God to forgive me and this is also a new day, another chance, and another oppurtunity. I also am NOT denying the eternal security of a believer. I am speaking about the Christian responsibility aspect. I share this with you in hopes that you would learn from this. Last year I had 5 people in my circle of friends who had friends die that they didn't share the gospel with and they felt so guilty. I never thought it happen to me.

One more little note. I have gotten squishy at work in general. I have been waiting for light to shine down from heaven and somebody to drop on their knees and ask me how to get to heaven rather than obeying Gods word and speaking the gospel with those that I love. If you open your new testament to the Gospels, in the context of Jesus and the relationships he makes (Yes I do believe relationships are important), Jesus is ALWAYS speaking truth. We never see him just talking about the weather with folks. This honestly is a convicting word to me. I heard a sermon recently with a man talking Jesus making relationships and I thought to my self that we never see Jesus making a relationship and sometime down the road speak truth. We never see him going on and on with lost buddies about politics and the weather. He is speaking truth all the time. Im not saying its sinful and wrong to speak about the ball game with lost friends, Im just saying we have to deal with the text honestly. Its my goal next year as I begin the NT again to take a closer look and jesus and his relationships, becuase our model of be friendly with somebody, talk about the weahter and such for a time, and later down the road share truth is not biblical.

Thank you for reading this. I would encourage to reach out to those around you that you haven't shared with. You may wake up one morning and there gone. Go serve your King.

A Few Rambles

noreply@blogger.com (Benjamin Davis) — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 12:46:00 +0000

1. We are told in scripture that we must contend earnestly for the faith and call out false teachers. How should we do this in a local community? Example: lets say im a member of the first baptist in a community and there is another baptist church that embraces worldly phsycology, misinterprets the scripture through terrible topical preaching, and doesn't talk about sin. How should we deal with that in a community? I Don't know the answer, just askig the question.

2. you know, i see the point to some degree about women preachers. Now I believe they are wrong for having them, but think of this, If you interpret the headcovering thing as cultural and women staying silent in church as cultural, well you might as well interpret pauls command for women not to teach as cultural too. I personally have never been given a reasonable explanation for headcoverings being cultural. You may disagree with me, lets hug and not draw swords on that issue.

3. How dogmatic should we be about expositional preching? Im convinced through Experience it is a better diet than topical, but I don't know exactly how dogmatic we should be about it. I just don't want to go around being dogmatic when I don't have a bible verse to back it up.

Marilyn Manson 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Benjamin Davis) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 19:40:00 +0000

For those of you not familiar with my background, this is a heartfelt place to go. Marilyn manson used to be my God. I was very much into heavy metal satanic music and he was my idol. I still remember the really nice open air preacher who preached as I sat on the steps to go into the concert.

I was accomponied by Eddie jones. We arrived a bit early and went to a public park that was across the street. We began a conversation with three young men. One attending church, the other two weren't, but all had a christian/religious upbrining. There objections were the same as always, but what we need to be gracious in realizing is that as we deal with the exact same objections all the time, most every person has never had a real christian sit with them and give them real, reasonable, logical answers and truly explain the Gospel. We sat with the young men and started with creation, all 3 agreeing there is God. Then, we turned to special revelation, the Bible. Eddie Jones is really great in this area. We gave the usual arguments of manuscripts, historical, scientific, and prophetic proof of its truth. One of the young men looked in amazement at eddie and said "your'e really good." Then we swung to the message. We used Gods law to show them there sin and one even said "How can anyone go to heaven." Just as we were explaining the cross, they had to go, but heard much truth. They said that no one ever took the time to explain the truth about these things to them.

If you look in our picture section from last year, there is a young man who has no shirt on, with black hair and fishnet style pants. I met him again this year and chatted a minute. He has 2 daughters and is a pro wrestler. I am going to try to go see him wrestle and follow up with him. I loved wrestling growing up, so I hope I can see him again. I don't watch the new stuff due to pornography and blasphemy.

We started going through the parking lot inside the place and started at one end handing out tracts. I got in conversation with a backsliden baptist/mormon. He was baptist, then mormon, and now he is a little drunk. He was a bit tipsy, but he really wanted to have the conversation with us. His friend would laugh and he would laugh, but then he would come right back to the conversation, asking questions, etc. He was really a postmodern. in times past it was just show the evidence for the bible and there you go, but we live in a postmodern age that even denies the absoluteness of truth. He loved his sin, straightforward, he loved his sin.

As we were living we got into a conversation with a man who hated black people and loved debate. He loved talking about religion. To make it short, he said his beliefs say that God is in everything and I told him that God said unless you repent you will perish. He was a swine, I couldn't give the pearls.

Upon reflection I see the need in the church for solid apologetic teaching and evangelism. example: When I became a christian, I accepted 6 day creation no problem. I knew experentially through salvation the Bible is gods word. The point I am making is that to a lost world and to those converts we disciple we MUST show the reasonability of the christian faith. Now conversion doesn't come through reason, it comes through the Gospel . We must do both.

until the whole world is reached,

Ben Davis

Computers

noreply@blogger.com (Benjamin Davis) — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 00:02:00 +0000

My computer was infected again, i haven't posted as I wished. More viruses. computer viruses are part of the fall.

God loves, God hates

noreply@blogger.com (Benjamin Davis) — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 03:56:00 +0000

It was interesting holding this sign at athfest 2009. Nobody complained about the God loves part. Not one soul heckled saying "God doesn't love you $%#@ moron." The second line got all the heat. Im sickened to think that Gods righteousness is mocked. Does God not hate murder? Does God not hate Rape? Does God not Hate child molestors? Everyone is ok to that point but the fact that God Hates all workers of iniquity and is angry with the wicked everyday doesn't sit well with the wicked at all. (psalm 5:5 and 7:11).

God hates unrighteousness becuase he loves righteousness. But the truth of the scripture is also that God Hates all workers of iniquity, rom chapter 2 speaks of the unrepentant recieving wrath and fury. In all of these passages we are talking about individuals. There was one lady who said to me "hey im a missionary and why do you say God hates, Jesus heart was broken for the woman at the well." Well, first the text doesn't say that explicitly and second he wasn't crying with her comforting her, he was pointing out her sin. Something modern evangelism says you should absolutely not do.

Heres the monkey wrench. One may say, but i thought God so loved the world he gave his son, how can he hate? Answer, God is angry with the sinner becuase his righteousness and justice must be upheld, and out of his mercy, grace, and love he sent a substitute.

These 2 truths are not an either/or. They are a Both/and. BOTH God hates all workers of iniquity AND God so loved the world. They may be hard for us to grasp, but the scripture has no problem reconciling itself.

Spurgeon was once asked about 2 truths that seemed to be opposite, he was asked how he reconciled them and replied "I don't. I don't have to reconcile friends." I think its becuase when you see a "street preacher/evangelist" with a sign that says anything appearing negative, immideately many get defensive. The thing I like about the sign is that it is true, but also the first line is God Loves. I have assurance I am not being unreasonable or relaying a wrong message. It is funny to heckle a man with a sign stating God Loves.

finally back

noreply@blogger.com (Benjamin Davis) — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 03:34:00 +0000

well 5 months and $130 later, my laptop is fixed, and I have reliable access. I plan to Blog at least once a week. I had 518 viruses on my laptop, apparently that was a problem.

Our Suffering Substitute by C. H. Spurgeon-WOW!

noreply@blogger.com (Benjamin Davis) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 02:37:00 +0000

God is just, and a just God must punish sin. The great question is, "How can God be just, and yet the Justifier of the ungodly?" False religions endeavour to answer this question, but they completely fail. The poor heathen thinks he has found the answer in his own terrible sacrifices. He thinks he may give "his first-born for his transgression, the fruit of his body for the sin of his soul." The deluted Papist thinks he has found an answer to the question in his daily mass; he says that there is in it "a propitiatory sacrifice for the quick and the dead." It is not thus that God's justice is vindicated, neither is it thus that His mercy shines forth in its glory.

There is a cold, speculative theology, that seeks to put this question far away. There are a few men who scoff at the atonement, and reject the thought of sacrifice. These never will be more than a few; they never can be many. The heathen and the Romanist may impress the multitude; but that system which denies the doctrine of atonement by the blood of Jesus Christ, or which puts it in the background, never can succeed. Its adherents may profess to be intellectual, because they are ignorant; but they will never convince the masses. It is stamped on nature by God that every man feels in his conscience a craving after a reply to the question, "How can the just God justly forgive me the sinner?" If that question be not answered in some way, so that it may be seen how God can save, and yet maintain His justice, no system of theology can by any possibility succeed.

We must resist the tendency that seems to be in the minds of some, to keep back this vital truth, the fundamental truth of the Christian Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Let us not argue against this tendency; but let us rather destroy it by our own personal determination to preach more earnestly and more constantly —

"Jesus Christ, and Him Crucified."

The quickest way to slay error is to proclaim the truth. The surest mode of extinguishing falsehood, is to boldly advocate Scripture doctrine upon Scripture principles. Scolding and protesting will not be so effectual in resisting the progress of error as the clear proclamation of the truth in Jesus.

Let me now try to preach the doctrine of substitution, which is the Scripture answer to the questions, "How can God's justice have its full dominion, and yet God's mercy exercise its sway?" — "How can there be a full-orbed justice and a full-orbed mercy, and neither of them eclipse or cast a shadow over the other?"

I.

BEHOLD THE PERSON OF THE SUFFERING SUBSTITUTE —

"CHRIST also hath once suffered for sins, the JUST for the unjust,

that HE might bring us to God."

The Substitute was of complex nature. He was truly man, and yet He was truly God. Christ Jesus who "suffered" in the room, place, and stead of God's chosen people, was man, man of the substance of His mother, most surely man. He partook of all the weakness of humanity, and was in all respects, sin only excepted, tempted as we are; yea, He became "bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh." He was the perfect man, the only man in whom there never dwelt sin. There was no sin in His nature. No taint of original depravity ran in His veins. In His human nature He was "without spot or blemish." Conceived in a miraculous manner, He partook not, in any degree, of that transgression which is transmitted to us; for we are born in sin, and shapen in iniquity.

Christ did not receive any of that imputed sin which has fallen upon the race from Adam. Christ never fell in Adam. He was "the seed of the woman", but He never lay in the loins of Adam. As a private person, Christ never fell; by nature, He was not in any sense a participator or partaker in Adam's sin. Though, on the part of His people, Jesus took upon himself Adam's transgression, and bore it right away, He himself was, in His original, without the shadow of a spot, the immaculate, the perfect Lamb of God's passover.

The life of the man Christ Jesus was in every respect blameless. From His eye no fire of unhallowed anger ever flashed. On His lips the word of deceit never rested. His pure mind never knew an imagination of sin. Satan's sparks fell on Christ's soul like fire dropping into the ocean, and were quenched for ever. Hell's quiver of temptations was emptied upon Him, but no single arrow ever stuck in His flesh and blood. He stood invincible and invulnerable. He could not be wounded by temptation. "The prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in Me," was His own triumphant declaration. Not only did Christ not sin, but He could not sin. "He knew no sin." He had no acquaintance with sin, He was a stranger to sin, sin had no commerce with Him, He had no dealings with sin personally. His head turned not dizzy when upon the pinnacle of the temple. When down in the depths of humiliation, no grief found expression void of completest resignation. He was ever pure, perfect, spotless, holy, acceptable unto God.

The sufferings of Jesus have power to bless others, seeing they were not necessary for Himself. He had no need to suffer as the result of sin, nor yet that, by the discipline of suffering, He might be purged from its evil. There was no reason in Himself why He should ever know pain, or heave a sigh. His sufferings all had reference to His people. His object in suffering, bleeding, dying, was to secure the salvation of His chosen. Our souls may now trust Jesus, the perfect man, with the utmost confidence.

Let us also ever bear in mind that, while Christ was truly man, yet was He also very God. We believe and must ever teach that the perfect humanity of Christ did not lower His perfect Deity; His Divinity was undiluted and infinite. He was "Very God of very God," possessing all the attributes of the eternal Jehovah. He, who did hang upon the cross, was the same God who made all the worlds. The very Word, who did bear our sins in His own body on the tree, was that Word by whom all things were made, and without whom "was not anything made that was made." We know nothing of a human atonement apart from the Deity of Christ Jesus. We dare not trust our souls upon a saviour who is but a man. If all the men that have ever lived, and all the angels that exist, could have wrought together, and striven throughout eternity to offer a sacrifice that should be a propitiation for the sins of a single man, they must have failed. None but the shoulders of the Incarnate God could bear the stupendous burden. No hand but that which set fast the spheres could shake the mountains of our guilt, and bear them away. We must have a Divine Sacrifice, and it is our joy to know that we have this in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ.

As for those who do not believe in the Deity of Jesus Christ, let them go their way, and preach what they will, we cannot stay to enter into controversy with them. We would speak of them as Mr. Gadsby did. A building where Unitarianism was taught was erected opposite the chapel in which William Gadsby preached the gospel of the grace of God. One asked Mr. Gadsby, "Do you not feel sad about this opposition?" He replied, "Opposition, man! I do not know of any opposition." "No opposition?" "No, brother, none whatever. Suppose I kept a baker's shop, and sold good wheaten bread, and some man came and opened an ironmonger's shop opposite, would that be opposition?" "No, that would be quite a different line of business." "So," said Mr. Gadsby, "the Unitarian Chapel is no opposition to us; it is in a different line altogether. It is a different article they have to deal out. We deal with the gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and on that a soul may rest for eternity; but they deal with 'another gospel, which is not another,' with that which can never bring peace on earth, or blessedness in the world to come. There is no opposition." Of course, in another meaning of the word, there is the greatest possible "opposition" between us and Unitarians; and we will pretend to no manner of union with them, for we can never give up our belief in the Divinity and Deity of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, nor can we have any fellowship with those who reject that blessed truth.

Let us stand beneath the cross of Calvary, and behold our Lord Jesus hanging there, and remember that His bleeding body was in alliance with the unsuffering Deity. Those wounds of His, that streaming, spear-rent side, was taken into union with the nature of the living and eternal God. The infinite merit of the Godhead was imparted to the sufferings of the manhood. Neither your sins nor mine can ever exceed the merit of the precious blood of Christ. If our sins be high as mountains, the ocean of His atonement, like Noah's flood, covers the utmost summits of the mountains. It prevails twenty cubits upwards, till all the highest mountains are covered. Though our sins be never so crimson, the blood of Jesus Christ is more crimson, and the one washes out the other. Though our iniquities be never so dark and bitter, His death hath taken away the blackness and bitterness of our sins; and therefore it is that "He is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him."

Sinner, look at Jesus Christ! There is power in His atoning blood to wash away all thy sins. None can limit the efficacy of the precious blood of Christ. No sins can be too black or too numerous for that precious blood to cleanse. The blood of Jesus Christ is sufficient to accomplish all that God has purposed to accomplish by its shedding. Christ shall never fail in any respect. His cross is a battering-ram against which nothing shall stand. Before the cross of Christ, the stupendous ramparts of our condemnation must rock to and fro even to their fall; and not one stone shall be left upon another that shall not be thrown down. We need a greater confidence in the cross of Jesus Christ, a surer rest evermore on that Rock of Ages cleft for us.

II.

CONTEMPLATE THE SUFFERINGS OF THE SUBSTITUTE —

"Christ also hath once suffered for sins."

These were endured on behalf of all them that believe. See Him in Gethsemane.

"Gethsemane, the olive-press!

(And why so called let Christians guess)

Fit name, fit place, where vengeance strove,

And griped and grappled hard with love."

"Twas here the Lord of life appear'd,

And sigh'd, and groan'd, and pray'd, and fear'd;

Bore all incarnate God could bear,

With strength enough, and none to spare."

There, for us, Jesus sweated until His soul became so full of agony that the blood flushed the rivers of His veins, and at last burst the banks and overflowed. "His head, His hair, His garments bloody were." He was clad in a ruby robe of His own blood; and there He continued still wrestling, with His soul burdened, and "sorrowful even unto death," that He might prevail on His people's behalf, and that He might suffer the wrath of God for their sins.

He rose from the place where He had been pleading, renewed in strength, and went forth to meet His doom. He was betrayed by Judas, one of the twelve. His own familiar friend, whom He had trusted, who did eat of His bread, lifted up his heel against Him. You who have been forsaken by your firmest friend in the hour of your direst need, you that have known a plighted troth broken, pretended love turned into a deadly hatred, you may guess, but you can only faintly guess, the tremendous sorrow that came into the Redeemer's soul when the traitor, Judas Iscariot, betrayed him.

They hurry the Saviour away to Annas, to Caiaphas, to Pilate, to Herod, then back again to Pilate, without any breathing time, without any respite. They accuse Him of sedition. The King of kings seditious! They accuse Him of blasphemy; as if God could blaspheme! They could find no witnesses against Him, except the basest scum of the people, who were prepared to swear to any falsehood, and even these agreed not one with another. There stood the perfect man, the Son of God, accused and slandered by men who were not worthy to be spit upon.

They condemn the innocent, they mock Him, they laugh at Him, they jeer at His majesty, and torment His sacred person. He is given up to the tender mercies of the Roman soldiery. They set Him in an old chair as though it were a throne.They had just before torn His back with scourges, till His bones stood up like white cliffs in a sea of blood. They crown Him with thorns. They cast an old purple robe on His shoulders, they mock and deride Him, as though He were a sham king. For a sceptre, they give Him a reed; for homage, they give Him spittle; for the kiss of salutation, they give Him the lips of mockery. Instead of bowing before Him as their King, they blindfold Him, and smite Him in the face.

Was ever grief like Thine, Thou King of sorrow, despised by Thine own subjects? Thou, who didst give them breath, dost have that breath back again on Thee in violent and blasphemous oaths! Thou didst give them life; and they spent that like mocking Thee!

Jesus is led forth to Calvary. He is nailed to the cross by cruel and wicked hands. The rude rabble jeer at His sufferings. Within His soul, there is an agony such as we cannot fathom. Above, there are the swelling waves of Almighty wrath against our sins, covering all His soul. Hark! that dreadful soul-piercing cry, "MY GOD, MY GOD, why hast THOU forsaken ME?" It seems to be the gathering up of all His griefs, sorrows, and sufferings into one expression. Like some enormous lake, which receives the torrents of a thousand rivers, and holds all within its banks, so does that sentence seem to grasp all His woes, and express them all, "My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?"

At last, He bows His head, and yields up His spirit! At one tremendous draught of love, the Lord hath drained destruction dry for all His people. He has "suffered" all that they ought to have suffered. He hath given to the justice of God a full recompense for all their sins. He has on their behalf presented a complete atonement, —

"And, to the utmost farthing paid whate'er His people owed."

What joy it is, believer, to think that thou has such a perfect atonement to rest upon! If there were one sin Christ did not suffer for on the cross, or one evil thought of one of His people that He did not bear, we could not be saved. But He has "finished" the whole of His people's transgression, He has made an end of all their sins, He has obeyed all the jots and the tittles, as well as the great and weighty things, of the law of God, He has magnified it, and made it honourable. He has gone to "the end of the law for righteousness" — not half-way, but all the way; not near to its boundary, but even to its very end. He has not merely sipped from the cup of wrath, not merely tasted a portion of its bitter draught, but He has drained it to the very dregs. Ere He died, He turned the cup of wrath bottom upwards, for He had taken all it contained; and when He saw that there was not a single black drop trembling on its brim, He exclaimed, with the loud voice of triumph, "It is finished!" He had drunk the whole. Glory in this, ye living people of the living Christ! He hath offered for you a complete sacrifice, acceptable unto His Father. Glory in this, ye chosen people of the living God, that "Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God."

III.

REJOICE IN THE RESULT OF THE SUBSTITUTE —

The sufferings are finished. The debt is paid. Justice is satisfied. The law is magnified. Righteousness is established. For all His people's sins Christ has made a complete atonement, and for their justification He has risen from the dead.

Now, poor trembling seeker, what sayest thou to this? Canst thou not now rest on Christ? God is satisfied with His Son's atoning sacrifice; canst thou be dissatisfied with it? God thinks Jesus enough; canst thou think Him too little? Did the Lord, the King, against whom thou hast offended, accept the reconciliation; and dost thou unbelievingly and distrustfully say, "I fear it is not sufficient"? Cast away thy guilty fears, I beseech thee. May the blessed Comforter enable thee now to say, —

"Just as I am — without one plea, but that Thy blood was shed for me,

And that Thou bidd'st me come to Thee, O Lamb of God, I come!"

Thou art to be saved by faith in Christ, who "hath once suffered for sins," and in Christ alone. Do not seek to make a saviour of thine own feelings. Do not think thou must experience this, or that, before thou comest unto Jesus. Christ wants no preparation from thee. Salvation consists in simply casting thyself down on Christ. Cast thyself down on the very face in the dust before Him, and once for all have done with thine own wretched self. Rely not on anything thou canst do, or think, or say, or know; rest alone on Jesus only, and that art saved. Be thou who thou mayest, and what thou mayest, though thou wert the very worst sinner out of hell, be thy soul the blackest, yet if thou wilt trust in Christ who "hath once suffered for sins, the Just for the unjust," thou shalt be saved.

Trembling sinner, look to Jesus, and thou art saved. Dost thou say, "My sins are many"? His atonement is wondrous. Dost thou cry, "My heart is hard"? Jesus can soften it. Dost thou exclaim, "Alas, I am so unworthy"? Jesus loves the unworthy. Dost thou feel, "I am so vile"? It is the vile Jesus came to save. Down with thee, sinner; down, down with thyself, and up with Christ, who hath suffered for thy sins upon Calvary's cross. Turn thine eye thither; see Jesus only. He suffers. He bleeds. He dies. He is buried. He rises again. He ascends on high. Trust Him, and thou art safe. Give up all other trusts, and rely on Jesus alone, alone on Jesus, and thou shalt pass from death unto life. This is the sure sign, the certain evidence of the Spirit's indwelling, of the Father's election, of the Son's redemption, when the soul is brought simply and wholly to rest and trust in Jesus Christ, who "hath once suffered for sins, the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God."

May the Holy Ghost bless these words, and send them home with comfort to many hearts, for our Lord Jesus Christ's sake! Amen.

March 17-Savannah St. Patrick's Day

noreply@blogger.com (Benjamin Davis) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 02:35:00 +0000

Come join us as we witness to 400,000 souls who need the Lord Jesus Christ!

Where: Savannah, GA
When: March 16-17
Contact: Keith Higgins 678-350-5120 krhiggins25@yahoo.com

The holiness of God

noreply@blogger.com (Benjamin Davis) — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 01:08:00 +0000

I am doing the one year bible deal this year and I have had an amazing time in my christian walk in the Old testament. I don't know it as well as the new and so this will be a good year of learning. I have seen the Holiness of God in Leviticus. Leviticus? Yes, Leviticus. As I began Genesis, It is the unfolding revelation of who God is. When I got to leviticus and all the rules, at first it was a struggle, rule after rule after rule. But then I pondered, Is this the holiness of God? Leviticus show how seperate from us he is and higher. In midst of all the rules, we see a God who has terms and conditions. You can't worship him in your own way (nadab and abihu). You come to him as he says come. The sacrificial system is testimony to that too.

To see at the beginning, He is Big, seperate, holy and distinct from us, not fallen, not sinful, not prideful. And amongst all these rules, even though it may seem overwhelming, We can come near to God. A broken heart and contrite spirit is what pleases God above sacrifice. A jew at that time if he had a broken and contrite heart, would gladly sacrifice and obey the laws, not to justify him, but to have unbroken fellowship with his God.

The same as you and I with a repentant heart, gladly ask forgiveness in jesus name and obey the commandments of the Lord, becuase we love him.

Jesus with sinners

noreply@blogger.com (Benjamin Davis) — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 12:35:00 +0000

to piggy back of my previous post about Jesus eating with the tax collectors and sinners, here is another nugget of truth here. Now we cant say for sure that these sinners knew Jesus directly, but there is a good chance they did. (scripture doesn't explicitly say, so Im not going to expound on uncertainty per good hermenutics.) But if they didn't know him before, they definetely did during and after. Notice this.

Many say Jesus "just hung out with people, Got down on there level." Notice this. Jesus, the perfect spotless lamb, who never sinned and is God himself, ate with filthy rotten sinners, who knew they loved sin. How much more radically diffrent can you get. extreme light and extreme darkness at the same table. And Jesus called them to repentance we know. Jesus didn't make himself Look the "same" as sinners. Now he showed kindness by actually engaging them, taking interest in there lives, but not with the intent to say, "im just human too."

Bretheren, therefore, You and I should not be ashamed to look diffrent, we are radically diffrent from the world. We can share in the effects of sin with unbelievers, but how dare we act like, "hey youre in darkness, and im going to pretend to be in darkness too, so you will come to the light. Becuase if you see i look like darkness and draw near to me, I love Jesus and You will Love him too!" It doesn't work like that. We are not Pharisees, acting like we've never sinned, but we are to be holy as our father in heaven.

brothers, let light shine before men.

a correction

noreply@blogger.com (Benjamin Davis) — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 12:32:00 +0000

I made a Mistake, please forgive me. In the scripture on the post below it sounds as if Jesus knew explicitly he was going to dine sinners, upon looking at other translations of luke, and the account in matthew and mark, I was Wrong. Levi made the feast, jesus went and tax collectors and sinners joined them. That doesn't change the main points of my post, but I wanted to acknowledge my error.

Jesus Didn't Chill for the sake of chilling

noreply@blogger.com (Benjamin Davis) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 00:24:00 +0000

27After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. "Follow me," Jesus said to him, 28and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.
29Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. 30But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and 'sinners'?"

31Jesus answered them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 32I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

Now notice this, Levi made him this great feast, and he came, Levi followed Jesus just a few verses before. And there were many sinners there, Jesus goes. Now this isn't going to a whore house to visit sinners, just a dinner. It is an everyday non-sinful event/place. He didn't comprimise an appearance of evil. He was invited to a dinner, not an orgy, or a tax collector sinning seminar, but a dinner. To break bread with someone, meant more than it does today. Now the Pharisees v.30 grumbled saying why are you eating with sinners? As if to insinuate, this is not just bad, this is really bad, how dare a righteous one dine with a sinner, Lord thank you that im not like THOSE filthy sinners. Jesus responded not by telling them, "hey im just hanging out, getting down on their level, earning a right to share with them." No, he said he has come not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Jesus was without a doubt witnessing to them, sharing to Gospel, Law and Grace. T

We learn here a principal for our relationships with sinners. The relationship should be for the declaration of the Gospel, and that should be central. Again, Jesus didn't say "im just hanging out, and calling them to repent," no he said he has come to call sinners to repentance. Im sure he might have said other things, but the summation of the evening with tax collectors and sinners out of the mouth of our Lord was "Ive come to call sinners to repentance." This text is challenging to me in many ways. The question really is, in our relationship with those who are lost, why do we have the relationship? What is the purpose? Why do we invest the time we do? and most significantly, Is it centered completely around calling the sinner to repentance?

If a relationship has gone on for years with no centrality of calling the sinner to repentance, we don't have that relationship for the right reasons. The Bible is not against making a relationship with a sinner and sharing the gospel, but it is against the idea of "Just hanging out." ive been reading through the OT and oh how God desired Isreal to be seperate. Practically speaking, We don't make friends with heavy metal, satan worshipping, fornicating sinners just to hang out. Why would we (for any other motive than sharing the Gospel) continually "hang out" with sinners who love to sin? Im not saying its wrong to enjoy a ball game with Lost Larry, but what is the reason for your relationship? Why do you spend the time you spend? Showing him the love of Christ and calling him to repent is the right reason, not because you think he's cool to be with. A sinner will drag you down. A word of caution, Im not refering to looking down on sinners in a condenscending way, im just talking about the motive and drive for your ongoing relationship with a lost sinner

Here is an application. Keith recently witnessed to a prostitute. Now immediately perhaps some red flags went up, I would agree, When he first told me, i thought "you really didn't stand there and talk with a girl with her body accented by lingerie did you?" He explained, he was out witnessing, and a girl he started to chat with (dressed OK) admitted that she was a prostitute ( a higher class, not street prostitute) and he shared the Law and the Gospel with her as he would anyone else. He was out in public with witnessing buddies, he is not dating or married, and they weren't alone together in kind of way. Even after him learning she was a prostitute, Keith still listened to her, showed her kindness and cared for her, and called her to repent.

I have unsaved buddies at work. Now we do work together professionally, but we have personal friendships. I have taken many oppurtunites to show them love, laugh and joke where I can with them, and call them to repent. Im praying for them, I love them, and I know they would say to you that they would agree, I care. They might not like me for the message, but they know I care.

In conclusion, if you don't have biblical relationships with unbelievers, repent. I've got some to do too

day 2

noreply@blogger.com (Benjamin Davis) — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 11:16:00 +0000

This is only a partial. We heard some wonderful preaching from a man who teaches missions at Reformed theological seminary in mississippi. It was wonderful, 30 minutes and that was only his introduction, he will exposit the text today. We got to hit the stadium, and I was dishearted, until I spoke to brandon. Brandon had never heard the law and the gospel, no one has ever explained it to him, and the Lord allowed me to do it. Got to go for now, will update more later.

p.s. Was open air preaching with a crowd and young girl was watching and listening intently and crying, When I saw that I looked strait at her and preached the good news of grace, I don't know whats going on with her, but I was deeply moved. So many stories, so little time. God Bless Ya'll!!!

Day 1

noreply@blogger.com (Benjamin Davis) — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 10:57:00 +0000

Today we had dinner and heard some great preaching. It was wonderful to be able to fellowship with other brothers and sisters. I met some new friends, Andy Lapins of transfired ministries and darel rundus daughter. Tony Miano Gave a great message on 1 timothy 6. The exegesis was top notch. its day 2 right now and I am gearing up for prayer, breakfast and Tony is preaching Don't Quit. Its a message available at livingwaters.com . I heard snippets on Wretched radio, and I about cried. Its a message of perseverance. Biblical evangelism is hard, but don't quit.

Tampa, we have arrived

noreply@blogger.com (Benjamin Davis) — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 21:44:00 +0000

We arrived in tampa, the limos met us and took us to the hilton where we had an extensive prayer meeting for the lost, thats all the evangelism we will do this year. Remember, preach the gospel at all times, and use words if necesary. NOT!!! It is necessary to speak and to put feet to our prayers. They are not going to see our love and fall down and repent if we don't tell them. Im so excited, we are about to go pick up a brother in christ at the airport and then we will hear Tony Miano. What a blessing to be in such rich fellowship, not just to be around one another, but to talk about the Lord ALL the time, and the conversation never gets boring, it gets sweeter and sweeter and sweeter. Please pray for us, your prayers are most necessary. God bless

pre-packaged Gospel presentations

noreply@blogger.com (Benjamin Davis) — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 01:41:00 +0000

I've been pondering the positives and negatives of learning an outline and I think there are pluses and minuses.

Pluses
1. learn more about the Gospel
2. Get the main points right, leave secondary issues secondary
3. Easy to learn a presentation

Minuses
1. can become a robot, not grow in your presentation
2. takes away from a personal study aspect of "What is the Gospel?"

I think there are pluses and minuses. I think there is real value when you make people think. Every Christian should know the Gospel, some know more and deeper, other christians know it more simply, but I think there is value in asking the question "What is the Gospel?" and getting people to answer it instead of just laying an outline out. I also think churches should put their own together, or take a program and customize it. There is always stuff you wish was in a program, but its not in there.

The main points of the message are essential. An already put together outline can do that for you. In my experience, and many others, The learning of an outline is only helpful if you use it, again, and again, and again. You get less mechanical overtime and develop more of a personal proclamation. By personal proclamation i mean, you understand better where people are, and you know where in the presentation to begin.

Find yourself a sinner, and experiment. Don't purposely make a false convert.

Sick and Tired

noreply@blogger.com (Benjamin Davis) — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 18:00:00 +0000

No really, im sick and tired. I got sick from staying out in the cold from the celine dion concert and now I have pink eye in both eyes. The lord is Good. I went to the skatepark last night while my wife was at work. There were only about 8 kids there and normally I would just leave on account of lack of people, but I thought these 8 people matter, so I stopped. I spoke with Brody, who didn't know anything. I think he was giving me that thing where you pretend to not know anything and try to be cool. Once again, He didn't understand the justice of God. He had never heard that God killed his own son and it pleased him to do it. More and more I am beginning to see how a false/shallow gospel has spread. one that is simple, but never is explained. example: your bad, Jesus died for you, make a decision, move on with life, etc. It is true that your bad and true that Jesus died for sinners like you, but its not expounded and exposited to men and women these days. Its not explained.

Finally, I spoke with Dustin. Our time was so brief, about 10 minutes, but my heart has never been heavier. This young man had a 4-pack of beer, and was so miserable. He didn't care about his life, he blamed God for alot of things, and just as I was really getting involved with him, his mom called and told him to come home. He was so rebellious, but you can see and hear that he is screaming for help. I pray God would save him, and send along other christians in his path.