In the early morning hours of January 6, a number of individuals entered the building known as Reproductive Health Services that sits adjacent to the Downtown YMCA at 811 South Perry Street.  The individuals participated in an event that took the life of what is estimated as twenty-one children.

Charges “will not” be brought against the parents or the property owners or the other individuals responsible for the mass killing.  ~

At first glance of the reports of the murders of several children in the city, you may have felt remorse for them and outrage for those who committed such acts.  You might wonder why this was not spoken of on the news and why charges weren’t brought forth against those responsible for these heinous crimes.

The reason being is that the children murdered were not born.  In 2011, an estimated 852 children were murdered in the City of Montgomery at this location that has been opened for over twenty years.  It is fearful to imagine how many children have lost their lives to the actions by those whom are suppose to protect them.

It doesn’t make any sense, at least to me. My brain can’t seem to wrap around the idea that such acts actually occur not just in my city but anywhere. Why on earth would people allow such acts to take place? Why is it was legal to kill your own child, simply out of convenience or for any reason?

What concerns we as well is why are people standing up to protect the life of these children?  If you knew that a child was to be murdered at a specific location at a specific time and date, would not you stop all you had to try to rescue that child?   If you knew that your neighbor was murdering children next door, would you just sit in your Lay-Z–Boy and do nothing?

Every Wednesday & Friday morning, parents come and shell out over $500 dollars to have their precious child removed from their womb and thrown away as if they were trash.  If you have an internet connection and a printer, you can print off a coupon to save you some money on your abortion.

What ever the case may be, what ever the circumstance, it is never okay to kill a baby in the womb.

Please get informed and stand and stop this madness.   Pray for God to open the eyes of all involved, to raise of godly laborers, people with a passion not just to fight abortion, but who long after God.

Please check out www.180Movie.com ..A very powerful documentary that has nearly 2 million hits on Youtube and endorsed by many.

Abortions are performed every Wednesday & Friday morning, parents come and shell out over $500 dollars to have their precious child removed from their womb and thrown away as if they were trash.  If you ha an internet connection and a printer, you can print off a coupon to save you some money on your abortion. Pray and come and stand with us for LIFE between 7AM till 9AM those days.

Hell is a great motivation to fire up any man to preach the gospel.  For what redeemed man desires for another to feel the wrath of the Almighty God, even if that person had committed vile and wicked deeds throughout his life with no sign of remorse?

It is with great cause that the preaching of Christ be done with urgency to rescue those that are perishing, to warn others of the wrath to come. That all men are guilty sinners, slaves to self and deserve every inch of hell and God’s entire wrath for every act of rebellion toward Him through sin.  Oh, the thought of the judgment come, woe are those who remain enemies of God.

While will do preach the gospel and have the desire to see men saved; we should not preach simply I say, to see men rescued from hell, but to glorify our Father in heaven, whether men be dammed or converted.

Any act of evangelism, the proclamation of the gospel, should be out of a desire to bring glory to our Holy and Just God first and foremost;  to see Him lifted high and holy above all else. Even if that means through our labors, we are never be granted the opportunity to experience the moment when one  repents  and trust Christ as Lord. It is all for His sake, not for theirs or ours.

I recall Christ as He prayed in the garden of Gethsemane, “Yet not what I will, but what you will.” Mark 14:36 Here Christ could have had legions of angels at His disposal, but He longed to please, to glorify His Father in Heaven, His desires should be ours as well as we long to be like Him.

In Matthew 22:34-40, Christ is speaking to the Pharisees. He was asked about of the law, “which is the greatest commandment?”  His reply was, “You shall love the LORD your GOD with all your heart, and with all your soul, and your entire mind,” noting as well that the second was to love your neighbor as yourself.

Here Christ clearly shows us that the greatest thing we are to do is to love our God with all we have and others as ourselves.  That He alone is to be first in all in all we do.

In 1 Corinthians 10:31, Paul writes in the text about all whatever we do, whether we eat or drink, do all for the glory of God.   Even in the text, Paul writes about the partaking of food, as simple and trivial to some that may be, even that should be done to the honor of God.

As these few scriptures state clearly, God is holy and is to be esteemed above everything else, even when it comes to the saving of souls.  If we obedient and loving God with all our heart, soul, and mind, then there will be nothing left for no one else, God gets it all, but out of our obedience , God gives us the desire to love others as He does.

Are we placing God second when we weep over the ignorance of men who refuse to repent? By no means. If we weep for souls, it is only because through His grace  that we have the desire for others to be saved.    If we have no such desire, what becomes of us?

Charles Spurgeon said that, “If you have no desire to see men saved, then you’re not saved yourself, be sure of that.”              

We should long for men to come to repentance; if we don’t then I would stress that we do not possess the desire to please God.  If you have not shed a tear or loss sleep at the thought of men going to hell, I worry for your soul.  As Christ longed for God’s will to be complete before His, so should our desire be.

Paul expressed great sorrow and anguish for the souls of men in Romans 9:1-4, so much as to be willing to give up his own salvation for those he considered his brothers.

”I am speaking the truth in Christ, I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit,  that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. “

Abraham in Genesis 18:22-33.  God was about to wipe the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah out, but Abraham is said to have stood before the Lord and pleaded with God to spare the cities if just ten righteous men were found in the city.

In Exodus 32, Moses had been gone for some time and the people of Israel believed Him to be dead so they fashioned a golden calf and worshiped it.  It is said that then God burned with anger and was about to destroy the people of Israel, then Moses steps in and implored of God to spare them.  And God did.

As these men showed longing for souls, as should we.   Never forget though that it is never our tracts, our sermons, our analogies, our labors that save men, but Christ and His cross.

As the thought of opportunities missed for me to share the gospel with so many riddles my mind, the thought that many may already be now as I write, experiencing wages earned for their sins, I weep for those I encounter when the sun rises.  May the God who is compassionate and forgiving, who is all knowing, give grace to each of us, for our lack of obedience to His Great Commission.  May all our labor to see men redeemed be in direct response to the grace we have been shown through the death and resurrection of Christ.  May we never sway or cower to the fear of man when it comes to the preaching of the gospel.   But with all diligence and effort, glorify God alone.

Light the darkness,

David

Dr. Joel R. Beeke is pastor of Heritage Netherlands Reformed Congregation in Grand Rapids, Michigan. This letter is available in tract form from Chapel Library. www.ChapelLibrary.org

Dear Reader,
You and I may not know each other; possibly we shall never see one another. Yet, I desire to write a personal letter to you. I write to you because you and I have more in common than you may realize. Though we may never meet each other in this world, we shall one day be in each other’s presence because we both possess a never-dying soul. With this soul both of us must appear before God, your and my Creator, in the great judgment day. “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after
this the judgment” (Heb 9:27).

You may do all in your power to put the thought of death away from you. Yet you cannot escape the fact that you must die. You know that you must die and face God. Perhaps you are reluctant to think about death because you also know judgment follows death as surely as night follows day. In all seriousness, therefore, could I possibly press upon you a more significant question than this: What is going to happen to you when you die?

The Bible, conscience, and common sense, all declare to you that there is an eternity you must face. Therefore, don’t avoid this question for your own sake: Am I prepared to die and face God as Judge? 

I am sorry to have to tell you that millions today think they are prepared to meet God who shall end in hell following the great day of judgment. This is what God tells us in His Holy Word: “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Mat 7:22-23).

Did you ever consider what a terrible awakening it will be for those who are traveling on in this life, thinking all is well with them, to hear in that day as they stand before the Most High God, “I never knew you”?  Words cannot describe the anguish of soul as this sentence will be passed upon them: “Depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” Shall you and I also be among these disappointed “many” that Christ speaks of in Matthew 7?

Dear reader, please give me five minutes of your time to try to show you who will end in hell and who will end in heaven.

The Broad Road to Eternal Destruction
First, I must honestly tell you the Bible informs us in Matthew 7  that the vast majority of people will be going to hell.  “Wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Perhaps this sounds cruel to you, but this sad fact is true not because God is cruel; rather, we are cruel to ourselves. We willfully defy our Creator and despise His love, while trampling upon His commandments, given for our true well-being. Due to such rebellion and wickedness,we have all earned death and hell. These are the only two things we have deserved, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23), and the “wages of sin is death” (Rom 6:23).

 What kinds of people are included in this vast multitude which is hellbound?
1. All ungodly people shall end in hell. This includes those who openly live wicked lives, doing such things as:
• spending their time in taverns and their money on drink and drugs,
• engaging in unlawful sexual relationships, 2
• treating Sunday as but another day of the week,
• daily watching the graphic display of sin on a TV screen,
• openly swearing against God by using His Holy Name in vain,
• living a life of rebellion against parents and authority given by God.

Such ungodly people shall end in hell unless they are brought to true repentance and conversion by the almighty power of God’s grace. Are you one of this group? If so, I urge you to seek repenting, confessing, and turning grace, before it is forever too late to seek the Lord!

2. All worldly people shall end in hell. Those shall end in hell who abstain from gross sins, but whose lives are intertwined with the world, who live unburdened when they continually do such things as:
•  place self above and before God,
•  esteem the possessions of worldly riches above the riches of God’s grace,
•  promote the desires of other people above God’s will as revealed in His Word,
•  value the needs of daily life above the need of a Savior for their immortal souls,
•  consider the results of sin to be more tragic than offending and sinning against their        holy Creator who showers them with blessings,

•  believe it is more important what their neighbors and friends think of them than what God thinks of them.

These shall end in hell unless they are brought to true repentance and conversion by the almighty power of God’s grace.  Are you one of this group?

If so, I must say to you: Heaven itself would be no happiness to you if you arrived there, for the Lord of heaven is not your friend—what pleases Him does not please you; what He dislikes gives you no pain. His Word is not your counselor; His day [of sabbath rest] is not your delight; His law is not your guide. You care little for hearing of Him; you know even less of speaking with Him. To be forever in His company would be a thing you could not endure; the society of saints and angels would weary you. As far as your practical life is concerned, the Bible means little, Christ means less, and salvation is a needless thing. “Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.”…You cannot serve God and mammon” (Eph 5:14; Mat 6:24).

3. Many religious people shall end in hell. It is possible to be hell-bound though we are faithful church attendees, Sunday school teachers, and even ministers. Religion can be our favorite subject, our conversation can be about God and Christ, and our outward walk of life can be blameless—all without our soul being saved from destruction.

We can be as religious as the five false virgins in Matthew 25, possessing the same confession, the same expectation, the same lamps, and the same outward appearance as the five wise virgins—and still perish. We can be as religious as Ahab of whom Scripture says, “…he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly” (IKings 21:27)—and still be unconverted.

It is possible to experience common convictions of sin and impressions of God and His holy attributes—even to acknowledge sin and be somewhat humbled under it, to weep and pray over it, to be afraid to sin again—and still not be able to enter the kingdom of heaven. Think of Cain, Saul, and Judas.

We need more than half-hearted religion and church attendance. We need the irresistible, regenerating work of the Holy
Spirit in order to be born again and converted. Only then will we love God with our entire being—the key ingredient missing in the foregoing examples—and pant after God as a thirsty man pants for cold water. Only then shall we be enabled by God’s grace to be prepared to meet the Lord. “Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness” (Luke 11:35).

How may I know if I am included among those who are heaven-bound?

The Narrow Road to Eternal Life
All those who shall arrive in heaven will confess their salvation to be a great miracle of God’s free grace. They shall all be souls that have been truly born again by the Holy Spirit (see John 3). They are people who have been converted by God. In their conversion they experience three things: (1) heartfelt sorrow over their own sinfulness, (2) heartfelt joy over salvationin Jesus Christ, and (3) heartfelt gratitude to God for His great salvation (see Romans 7:24-25; Psa 50:15).

1. Heartfelt sorrow over their own sinfulness
When the Holy Spirit begins to work salvation in a sinner, He does not begin with revealing Christ to him. There is no room in our hearts by nature for Christ. Rather, He brings such a sinner face to face with his tragic misery and dangerous state of sinnership before God. The sinner is brought to experience:

•  heartfelt sorrow over his innumerable actual sins in thoughts, words, and actions against an all-knowing God;
•  heartfelt sorrow over being without God, without Christ, and without hope in the world;
•  heartfelt sorrow over his dreadful original sin through his deep fall in Adam, being taught his entire heart is nothing but a fountain of pollution and corruption;
•  heartfelt sorrow not only because the burden of sin becomes too heavy to bear, but also because he finds it impossible to free himself of this burden;
•  heartfelt sorrow when he is brought to the point where he realizes that he cannot save himself and yet that he must be saved so that he cries out, “Lord, Thou art            righteous and just to cast me away forever, but is it possible that there is a way in Thee to escape Thy divine punishment and be restored into Thy favor?”

Have you also become such a concerned, miserable, unworthy, guilty, and lost sinner—a sinner who knows by experience that there is no hope of salvation from your side?

 
2. Heartfelt joy over salvation in Jesus Christ
When the sinner experiences he has no future but condemnation from his side, and the Holy Spirit enables him to cast himself upon God as the only place of refuge, that same blessed Spirit shall unveil the triune God’s unspeakably rich way of salvation and deliverance through the blood and satisfaction of the Lord Jesus Christ. The sinner is brought to experience:
•  a need for Christ;
•  a view of some aspect of Christ’s atoning work in its beauty, fullness, and suitability;
•  a revelation of Christ in his soul by means of Word and Spirit through which he learns how Christ has fully obeyed the law and fully borne the punishment of sin on behalf of fallen, unworthy sinners;
•  an application of Christ by which he may embrace Christ with unspeakable joy as his Savior and his salvation.
Have you also experienced something of Christ as the great way of deliverance through the power of the Holy Spirit applying God’s Word to your soul? Has it caused you to desire to know Christ more and more as your All-in-all—to know Him
experientially as the exclusive, willing Savior who saves to the uttermost?

3. Heartfelt gratitude to God for His salvation
Finally, those who truly experience God’s way of salvation in Jesus Christ will also express a wholehearted gratitude for such a great deliverance: “What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me?” (Psa 116:12). They desire to surrender everything, soul and body, for time and eternity, into the hands of the Lord, lie at His feet in true submission, and confess, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Despite many shortcomings on our part, we then desire to live to the
glory of God above all, and to lovingly serve our neighbor to his spiritual and temporal welfare.

Dear reader, examine yourself.

Which Road Are You Traveling?
Are you traveling the broad road to eternal destruction or the narrow road to eternal life? In this world there are many different roads, but in the spiritual world there are only two, and these two never intersect. They are as opposite from one another as darkness from light, Satan from God, nature from grace, and hell from heaven. Only God, in His free grace, can take us off the broad road to destruction and place us on the narrow road to everlasting life.

Sinner, we beseech you, turn from your sinful and evil ways. Cry for true conversion from Him who not only said, “Ye must be born again,” but who also testified of Himself, “The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which is lost.” Your soul is lost and your condition miserable; therefore, beg the Lord to show you this, so that room may be made within you for the gospel message of Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

Allow me to leave you with a final warning. In the twenty-seven books of the New Testament, hell is mentioned 234 times. If life’s road were twenty-seven miles long, and there were 24 billboards along this route which all read, “This road leads to hell,” would you stay on that road? As long as you are an unrepenting, unbelieving, Christless, self-satisfied sinner, you are on this road to hell. Hell is the end of a worldly or religious life which remains Christless.

This short message is still another billboard sent by God to you on your pathway of life to warn you that all the ways of man end in death. “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near” (Isa 55:6).

How many more billboards will the Lord send your way before His patience comes to an end, and He fulfills His own Word: “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment”?

Make haste, sinner, for your life’s sake. The thread of your life is not yet cut, but it is growing increasingly thin and brittle. The Lord still calls to you, “As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die?” (Eze 33:11).

The door of grace is still open. The throne of Christ is not yet shut. Will you hear His voice before it is too late? “Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him” (Psa 2:12).

All those who have lived without God on earth shall be without God in hell. How terrible it shall be to experience with the rich man in Luke 16, “In hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments…And he cried…I am tormented in this flame.”

Dear friend, I desire to warn you with love. You and I cannot escape death. It is an appointment we will keep—regardless.
Are you prepared to die?

This tract can be read online in PDF format at http://www.chapellibrary.org/files/archive/pdf-english/aywk.pdf  as well as ordered from Chapel Library as a tract..

Before I answer the question proposed in the title, let me give you a quick glimpse into the movement called “Occupy Wall Street.”

On or around September 17th, 2011, hundreds of protesters gathered on Wall St. in Manhattan to stand against the unfair policies of our government and politicians. Since then, thousands have rallied and the movement has quickly spread into various cities throughout the United States. With famous politicians, actors, actresses and many of society’s finest stepping out into the action to give their two cents, the movement has gotten international attention, and if nothing else, has made their voice heard.

The protesters, camping out for almost a month and refusing to leave until their demands are met, insist that the USA “be put back into the hands of it’s individual citizens”. According to the organization’s website, their cry is that “our nation, our species and our world” is at stake and in crisis due to the corporate greed and corrupt politics going on between Wall St. and Washington. The core of the movement even has their very own “saying.” “We are the 99%” is their catchy demagogic mantra, which, (when translated into common language) means, “We are not getting enough handouts while the remaining 1 percent (the rich) is getting everything.”

Although there may be some valid motivations to various aspects of this resistance movement, the central theme of most of the protesters seems to be: “Give me what I deserve…even if it’s unfairly taken from someone else!” (See Read More…)

The majority of the mainstream press initially portrayed the movement as a bunch of radical, unemployed hippies with a confusing message, gathering simply because they have nothing better to do. Some just felt that protesting was “cool”, and most of all, it gives their life meaning. Now, the movement is getting more organized and the message seems to be more coherent, although many have a competing message. Consistency within the movement as a whole is hard to come by.

The movement on the surface, for the majority of its members, has an underlying entitlement driven, socialist agenda that is quite scary (especially when you dig a little deeper and read their 13 Demands, which in actuality, some reflect Karl Marx’s 10 Pillars of Communism. Read More…).

It’s quite obvious that some of their demands are unbiblical and unconstitutional. (Guaranteed living wage income, free college, gender equality, etc.) But what about their method? Is peaceful protest and publically standing against evil something that could glorify God?

This leads us back to the main question…is this movement biblical or unbiblical?

Short answer: both biblical and unbiblical. Unbiblical in it’s worldview- biblical in it’s approach.

Remember the parable about the “children of this world being wiser than the children of light?” I believe that quote by Jesus is a valid expression to describe what we are seeing with the Wall Street movement. However, zeal without “the key of knowledge” is not good.

The “children of the world” seem to have their approach correct-they’re not just complaining about the problems of our world, they’re doing something about it. Nevertheless, their worldview and demands are not so biblical.

Many Christians who know the mess we’re in, although they love the Lord and they follow Him with a true heart, shy away from activism and even traditional evangelism. There are those that are aware of what’s presently happening spiritually, morally, fiscally and physically to our country, but don’t see the biblical mandate to take action. Some, on the other side of the spectrum, actually think everything is happening exactly as it’s supposed to. They’ll agree, “Yes, of course, sin is getting worse and worse…of course our economy is crumbling…but isn’t this what the bible says about the “end times?” (Yes, that’s a whole separate topic, but I must interject here and say that I disagree with that view wholeheartedly. I believe that sort of teaching, is in part, responsible for the apathetic approach towards civil government & cultural engagement by the majority of Christians.)

Back to the question at hand: Yes, it is biblical to engage the culture this is what Occupy Wall Street is doing. They’re engaging, getting involved, doing something to make change. They have a “no compromise” approach. But, it’s unbiblical to engage the culture un-peacefully, but even worse, without God’s law and the gospel as the absolute standard of truth and justice-this is what is most unbiblical about Occupy Wall Street. As I mentioned, there’s an underlying communist spirit within most of the movement, which will probably be used to enhance the upcoming elections (2012). Many groups and unions are trying to highjack the movement since, at this time, there’s no apparent leadership by any one group.

With that said, let me ask a very simple question: What if Christians were to apply a biblical strategy of no compromise, i.e., the biblical aspect of Occupy Wall Street, to combat the proclamation of evil in our society? Of course, I’m talking about more than just a pietistic non-compromise.

What if Christians were to stand up and speak out on particular issue, but instead of socialism and communism as the answer, i.e., more government, what if they “refused to compromise” until God’s law and gospel were presented as the foundation for all solutions in society and culture? I don’t think anyone would disagree that “no compromise” and peacefully standing for truth are biblical concepts. But I’m talking more than just picnicking on Wall Street…what if we began to propagate Christ’s death, resurrection and law, publically, in all areas of life?

Here are a few examples of how the people of God could glorify Christ with “no compromise” action steps.

Better, yet, here are some “What if” situations, comparable to the organized efforts of OWS:

What if….Christians peacefully went in the public square and protested against the tyrannical and ungodly decisions of government-and refused to leave until they were heard?

What if….Christians “demanded” abortion be stopped or else we would occupy every street corner, around every clinic in every city in America-and refuse to leave until they closed?

What if…Street preachers, in a God honoring, biblically faithful way, preached against the evils and particular sins of our culture such as tyranny, abortion, homosexuality and all violations of God’s word faithfully and consistently in the public square-and refused to be moved by the consequences, results or acceptance by their piers?

Here are a few broader applications:

What if….Christians were to stand and preach the gospel in front of City Hall, calling the leaders of society and the civil to repent and submit to God’s standards, not human standards created by the sinful passions of man?

What if…Christians heard IN CHURCH, from their pastors, all aspects of the law of God and what it says about freedom, liberty and justice in society-and refused to believe the lies of secular humanism?

What if…Christians taught their children for more hours than the government and the world does-and refused to leave their children’s education in the hands of ungodly teachers?

What if…Christians got involved in legislation at the local, state and national level and stood strong for God’s Word as the ultimate standard of those laws?

What if…Pastors encouraged Christians to boldly take God’s law and gospel into all sorts of civil issues, education, media, etc, into every sphere of life and to expect victory?

Could you imagine if just a few churches began to promote the “what if’s” above and encouraged this sort of behavior in a God honoring, biblically faithful manner in the churches throughout our nation?

“What if?” would quickly turn into “Why not!”

Not to mention, God would move powerfully. Souls would be saved, saints would be blessed and Jesus Christ would be glorified. Things would change. Lives would be saved. People would be regenerated. We know this because that’s what happens when God’s Word is preached publicly and when Christianity is lived out as a whole life system.

Unfortunately, many churches want nothing to do with “activism,” political involvement, engaging the culture or transforming society. Why? Well, lots of reasons. Too many to list here. But you’ve certainly heard the various objections and even the scriptures used as the basis for retreat rather than “engage”.

I’d like to digress for a moment to address at least one of them right here, probably the most popular scripture/statement used against cultural engagement:

“Jesus said, my Kingdom is not of this World”…

Of course, it’s typically followed with “…so why are you worried about all this political stuff…Jesus said we’re not of this world.”

As if Jesus was advising or teaching Pontius Pilate that He has no intentions for Christian’s to get involved in any part of “the world” after His death, they are to only be concerned with spiritual things and heaven.

Most scholars agree, the kingdom is in fact spiritual. I’m not disagreeing with that. However, this tiny little verse (which is usually taken out of context when defending an attitude against getting involved in culture) does not mean that Christians should avoid the things of the world. He is certainly not saying that standing against the evils of society, engaging the culture or reproving ungodly government is not part of Church’s responsibility.

Many people read this verse as if Jesus was saying to Pilate, “This world is not of my kingdom,” rather than, “My Kingdom is not of this world.”

“My kingdom is not of this world,” means, in context with a suspicious Pilate (who was asking Jesus about His kingship as it pertained to a revolutionary attack against Rome), that the “source of” His Kingdom is not of this world (if it was, His people would fight, etc.).

This means the “origination” of His Kingdom is not of this world, not that His spiritual Kingdom is separated, divorced or disconnected from secular society.

The purpose of Christ is to be the new Adam. Jesus reversed the work of the fall, restored man as a covenant keeper back to God, established the Kingdom of God, and enabled man again to fulfill his calling to dominion over all the earth-in the earth- with the assurance of victory.

The scriptures plainly teach that the dominion of His Kingdom, and his dominion agents (Christians) are in fact to actively rule over all aspects of this world (Genesis 1:26). This is why He commands us to go into all nations and not only “get people saved” to wait for His return, but to disciple, restore and redeem as well.

The extent of Christ’s Kingdom over all culture and society can be seen throughout the scriptures. A few well known verses are here:

Dan 2:44: And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, [but] it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.

Dan 7:13-14 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, [one] like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion [is] an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom [that] which shall not be destroyed.

And of course:

Mat 6:10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as [it is] in heaven. (not “in heaven” as it is “in heaven”, but “on earth”.

Mat 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, [even] unto the end of the world. Amen.

(I recommend you read Dr. Ken Gentry’s “The Greatness of the Great Commission” at our website Read More… for a full exegesis on Matthew 28:18-19 and it’s relevance to the full extent of evangelism over all of culture and society.)

The Great Commission extends much further than “spiritual witness”-it’s a cultural witness as well. We are commanded to be salt and light, a lamp on hill, to expose the deeds of darkness and to reprove them. We also have the extensive all-inclusive jurisdiction of “any place, any thing and anytime” by Jesus Christ Himself.

We are to disciple all nations and teach them “all things” which he commanded. This means all of scripture, everywhere in the world and every sphere of culture and society. As I mentioned, it doesn’t mean just to “get people saved” everywhere, in all places. It certainly entails that, but extends much further.

But instead of doing this, it seems as a whole, we’ve focused just on the spiritual or sacred rather than including the society and culture. We’ve limited the extent and power of the Kingdom of God to just the Church and it’s salvific calling. We have hyper spiritual evangelism rather than hyper-extending evangelism (bending over backwards to reach every sphere of the world!)

Our evangelism must extend to the very outer limits of where sin contaminates and corrupts, saving the whole man!

(So now, relating back to Occupy Wall Street…)

Until we take action on the fact that the Great Commission extends further than just dying and having a better afterlife, we will continue to be disobedient to Christ, see our nation drift further away from Him, and go deeper into the judgment of God.

And instead of having 10,000 plus Christians standing, preaching and confronting the lawlessness of abortion, tyranny, the socialistic and communistic anti-biblical policies of our government -instead of having churches demanding that our leaders submit to God’s law in the areas of economics, civil rule, life and liberty-instead of having Christian lawmakers, businessmen and educators be the norm- we’ll continue to have situations such as OWS. Which, for the most part, is nothing more than a humanistic protest (with a barely coherent, illogical message.) And for the most part, one that promotes a lawless, self-motivated purpose.

Don’t get me wrong, as I stated earlier, there are some OWS folks who have valid concerns. But for most of the OWS protesters, they are simply demanding that the State start acting like the gods they claim to be- or else! (-and the gods they promised us they would be, especially for those of us who went through government sanctioned schools.)

All in all, peacefully standing up and speaking up is a biblical concept. However, biblical concepts don’t make sense without being undergirded with biblical law and truth. When the world stands up for themselves and speaks up for their personal passions and desires (entitlements, hand-outs, etc.)…its a biblical concept but with wrong motives. This makes it incorrect in God’s sight.

How much more could we glorify God is we stood up and spoke up for His righteousness standards in the public square, proclaiming God’s Word in the power of the Holy Spirit? Now you have biblical concept undergirded with God’s law and gospel, which is certainly correct in God’s sight.

I have to hand it to the OWS folks…they will have no regrets. When all is said and done, they can at least say “we tried”. The question is, if abortion, government theft, tyranny, homosexual marriage, Islam, humanism, communism and the cults continue to grow in acceptance at their current rate of speed, will the Church be able to say the same? Unfortunately, I don’t think so. Unless, we stop “falling down before the wicked” we’ll continue to be as a troubled fountain, and a corrupt spring” (Pro 25:26)

It’s time we’ve done something. Operation Freedom is not quite as organized as Occupy Wall Street (tongue in cheek of course), but it is a start. Here at gostandspeak.com we’re looking to recruit those who would like to take God’s law and gospel, in the power of the Holy Spirit, to the exact place the battle is raging the most…the public square. Our ministry will be visiting some of the Occupy Wall Street protests in the upcoming weeks to preach the gospel in the open air and to confront some of the issues with God’s standards and solutions. Why don’t you join us? For more information, go to our website or email us at gost…@gmail.com

Written by Pat Necerato, Read More…

If that is not enough motivation to stop living as if this life is yours and engage your family members, your co-workers, strangers, all you come in contact with, with the truth that God is holy and great, that man is sinfully wicked and separated from God, that the only way possible to be reconciled with God is through Christ. That without holiness, no man shall see the Lord. Hebrews 12:14

Indeed, if the reality of eternal separation from God in hell is not enough for you to be obedient to the call to ,”Go and preach the gospel to all creation,”  Mark 16:15 then the cross of Christ should be. And if you can not find motivation in the cross, then motivation is not what your in need of. My friend you need Christ yourself. www.NeedGod.com 

Please read their post concerning their support of Jeshua and I.  http://morallaw.org/news/foundation-for-moral-law-to-defend-arrested-pro-life-activists

Psalm 139 tells us that it is God who formed our inward parts; who wove us in my mother’s womb. He is the author of life. The killing of children through abortion is murder.  There is no other way to explain it.  In Montgomery there are is on average around 16 to 18 babies aborted each week. That number is unthinkable, that even one child has lost its life simply because it is unwanted.

I encourage you to stand for life, either with us here in Montgomery or in your own hometown. In Montgomery, abortions are performed on Wednesdays & Fridays and we stand between 7AM and 9AM.  Counselors also stand on Tuesdays and Thursdays to hand out pro-life materials and speak to ladies seeking an abortion later that week.

Please pray the workers and abortionists at this clinic, that God would draw them to repentance and faith in Christ as well for laborers for the gospel.

Lastly, the Foundation for Moral Law is providing their services free of charge, which is a great blessing toward us. Please consider supporting them as they support us by praying for them, calling and offering encouragement by thanking them for their support 334-262.1245, or either by making a donation of any kind at http://morallaw.org 

I am very thankful and covet all of your prayers.

Light the darkness,

David Day

EvangelizeYourCity.org

Four police cars showed up to deal with us, the entire time, blocking the entrance. (AMEN)  We were questioned and told we were breaking the law and the owner of the clinic issued a warrant for our arrest.  We were taken downtown to the Montgomery City Jail and finger printed, stripped searched, and placed in population for about 4 hours until we were able to make bail.

The conditions in jail were nothing less than I expected. It was jail a place for those who break the law.  The air was stagnant, one toilet and shower for over twenty guys. No cold water to drink. The sink only had hot water which was OK when most people in the world don’t have running hot water.  The inmates told us that they used to take water bottles and fill them up and tie them over the air conditioner vents to cool the water down till they were restricted from doing so.

Around the one toilet, there was a blanket that was up that was used as a screen to give you what little privacy you could get. People were lying in mats on bunk beds and on the floor.  During meal time, some inmates traded partial serving of their meal for each others servings.

The entire time though, the Lord was extremely gracious to us as He always proves to be. We were not harmed or threatened in any way. We were provided with many opportunities to witness when speaking with the inmates and some guards.  I find it very comforting knowing that God knows all and in a small cell sat two men that God’s Word says that He, “formed us in our mothers womb and knew us before we were even born.” Psalm 139 .  That through it all, He was in control .  Through all of this, many He receive all the glory.

I am thankful as well for my friend Jeshua and his encouragement that he gave me while locked up together.  I’m also thankful for my Friend Ben Dupre of the Foundation for Moral Law who worked to get us out of jail and who will be representing us in court.

People have told me what a blessing it is to be persecuted for His name sake. “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Matthew 5:11.   We both are very blessed and humbled that the God of the Universe, the Creator of everything uses each of us for His will. Of all the billions of individuals in the world, I know far better people better skilled to deliver such a great message.

Our court date is July 13, at 8 am, please keep Jeshua and I in your prayers. Not only that the charges would be dropped, but that God would raise up laborers for His sake, not just to stand for life at abortion centers here and elsewhere, but for laborers for the proclamation of the gospel.  “Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” Matthew 9:38

Some have asked how they can help us. Other than earnest prayer, you can help support us by making a donation with our names attached for our court cost and defense fees to the Foundation for Moral Law who have taken on our case without charge.

Attached is a link to the video of our actions and of our arrest. Please share it as you will.                   http://vimeo.com/25520778   Youtube site   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuR6WR3kvrg

I very thankful to share with you the good news that God continues to allow us to do and I pray that he provides many opportunities to glorify His name where you are at.

Light the darkness,

David Day

www.EvangelizeYourCity.org

What Hell is Like Tract

When I heard his comment, I quickly responded by telling him that it did not matter what color he was.  I told him that the bible says we all are “one blood” (Acts 17:26; KJV) descendants of Adam, in meaning that we all are related and sinners.  With a bit of surprised look on his face, he just looked at me as he continued walking with a group he was with.  Before I could get anything else in; a young lady who looked to be leading the group chimed in.  She asked if I had ever read Dante’s Inferno and if it was true that the farther in hell you go, the colder it gets.  I offered her a reply by telling her that I have never read Dante’s Inferno in which she intensely made it clear that I should and then I would have something to argue with.

The Bible is older than Dante’s Inferno and you can’t argue the bible since it is the written word of God.  I told her and the rest of the group including the young man that made the racist comment that Hell is real and we all deserve it, we all are sinners.  It was then that my witnessing felt more like harassment as I was trying to keep pace with them, so I backed off and began to witness to some others passing by that gladly took the tracts.  I was shocked a bit at the young man’s comment and the ladies argument as well.  Neither comment stood any ground and could not be argued.   It doesn’t matter what the color of one skin tone is, we are all brothers and sisters and should be just as motivated to share the gospel with the stranger as we would be our sister or brother in whom we have grown up with our entire life.

As for Dante’s Inferno, I have never read it. I hear it is vivid and gruesome.   I would assume Hell is far worst that Dante could pen. It is a place where there is no enjoyment and no second chances. It is a place for murderers and rapist, for the vile and wicked. It is also a place for the good, the liar, the adulterer, the thief and blasphemer.   Revelation 21:8, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11

The topic of hell of a tough issue with many, especially when witnessing.  Quite a few people that I have spoken with think that they are going to Heaven no matter what because God forgives. That out of context is false.  While He does forgive, it is not based on how good you live your life or if you go to church or even if you ask for forgiveness, but forgiveness comes only by faith in Christ Jesus who bore your sin on the cross and died and rose from the grave defeating death, paying the fine for the crime (sins) you have committed.   Romans 5:1 

It is then and only then will God dismiss our case against Him for our sins.  So trust in Christ today for the forgiveness of your sin and repent and follow Him…

Light the darkness,

David

There were two people I spoke to that evening that I think defines many, hear me now, “Professing Christians.”  One way they stand out from a true believer is a lack of desire for God’s word. 

The two men that I witnessed to said all the correct lingo when it came to Christian common knowledge. Such as, they knew that Christ died for sin & man’s good works won’t save them just to mention a few.  However one aspect of their conversations is that they neglected the word of God.  One man even went as far to admit that he did not need to read the bible, all he must do is listen to his pastor and sermons.   The other gentleman when asked when was the last time he had read his bible. His response was when he had last went to church, about a month ago.

I have spoken to many professing believers that know all the right words and seem very excited about God, but when it comes to the topic of the bible and reading it, sadly many neglect it.

When I encounter those who admit to this fault, I am quickly reminded of Job 23:12, where he mentions that he treasures His mouth(  the word of God ) more than food.  A great example none the less to us when we have all sorts of excuses for not spending quality time within the word of God.

I think as well that the importance of God word and reading and understanding it is given it value none better than Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

His word is Alive and active, Amen.

To be clear and honest on this subject, if anyone can speak on the neglecting of reading God’s word, it is I. I to get busy and at times can have it seems a thousands things going on at once.   I’m busy though can not be used as an excuse. It is His word again that is alive and active, sharpen than any sword known to man.  It helps us to know and understand who It is we serve, the One True God. 

When we read and study the bible and all it contents we are reading scripture that is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work ~ 2 Tim 3:16-17 .   Would we rather sit in front of kings than hear the gospel?  What shame that brings if we do. 

A response to those that admit to not reading the bible, I share with them one I heard some time ago from Ray Comfort.

Can you go four days without food? I ask.

 Most reply yes.

 Well if you do what usually occurs?

I get sick or weak.

Indeed you do. Your body need the nourishment that comes from food. Your body can’t live long with out it.

Can you then imagine what your spirit goes through when you neglect His word?  Weak. And you wonder why you stumble and give into sin so easily.

Afterward, I share with them the scripture from Job and 2 Timothy and try to encourage them read God’s word and obey what it says. 

Do you neglect the word of God? Do you spend more time in front of the computer or TV than you do treasuring God’s word?   Do you have any desire whatsoever to read it?   Let me encourage you, set a time, make plans to read it.   Desire the word more than food! Pray and ask the Lord to open your eyes that as you read each new scripture, may it be as if scales are removed and you see scripture as you have never seen it before with joy and understanding for His word that he has given to us.

May I suggest too a bible reading plan that I have recommend before as have many others. Professor Horner’s Bible Reading Plan.  Yes, it sound complicated, but once you get going, you will look forward to the next chapter of this two-edged sword.

Here is a link for more info on Professor Horner’s Bible reading Plan…  Use it and share it with others…  

 http://evangelizeyourcity.wordpress.com/2009/06/30/professor-horners-bible-reading-system/   

 Light the darkness,

David

www.EvangelizeYourCity.org