----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, May 15, 2005 8:47 PM
Subject: Re: [Bulk] [TruthTalk] Street
Preaching
Does the Book of Acts have an ending or should that style of
preaching
continue today?
If we are to preach the NT "love gospel" why did paul run into so much
trouble?
Acts 13:45 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with
envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting
and blaspheming.
13:50 But the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable
women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and
Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts.
(LDS emulate Jews)
14:5 And when there was an assault made both of the Gentiles, and also of
the Jews with their rulers, to use them despitefully, and to stone them,
14:19 And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who
persuaded the people, and having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city,
supposing he had been dead.
16:23 And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into
prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely
18:6 And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed
19:23 And the same time there arose no small stir about that way.
19;32 Some therefore cried one thing, and some another: for the assembly
was confused
20:23 Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that
bonds and afflictions abide me.
22:22-24 And they gave him audience unto this word, and then lifted up
their voices, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not
fit that he should live. And as they cried out, and cast off their clothes,
and threw dust into the air The chief captain commanded him to be brought into
the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging
23:2 And the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to
smite him on the mouth.
23:10 And when there arose a great dissension, the chief captain, fearing
lest Paul should have been pulled in pieces of them, commanded the soldiers to
go down, and to take him by force from among them, and to bring him into the
castle.
23:12 And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and bound
themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till
they had killed Paul.
24:5-6 For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of
sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect
of the Nazarenes: Who also hath gone about to profane the temple: whom we
took, and would have judged according to our law.
Ruben Israel <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
To
those that wish to comment on "street preaching," take note:
Noah was
called a "preacher of righteousness" during his time slot he
preached
righteousness to a perverted people and did anyone get saved?
Would it
have been more prudent for him to use his three sons and maybe
start a
band, singing to sinners in that wicked generation and using this
friendship evangelism rather than preaching?
Isaiah was told to
"Lift aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet,
and shew my
people their transgressions and the house of Jacob their sins"
(Is.58:1). Do we find Isaiah preaching a message of God wants you just
the
way you are? Find out how many messages he preached using the word
"Woe"
vs. "God loves you".
Jeremiah was told to go and cry out
against cities, people, individuals and
a temple, his message was about
as in your face as one can get. Should he
have possibly just tried to
get to know everyone, maybe coffee and pie,
perhaps this result would
have been fruitful and the message would have been
accepted? In
retrospect was it all Jeremiah's fault?
Ezekiel, now here is someone
I enjoy reading, this man uses more visual aids
with his preaching (see
Ezekiel for details) and again where do we find this
message of God
loves you even once in forty eight chapters? He was the
watchman warning
sinners of their sin. Ringing the bell, sounding the
alarm, echoing
caution, pointing out the sin trying to get into the camp
(Ezk. 3 &
33).
These are just a few men that preached in public a message in an
ear that no
one wanted to hear and that is why these men were
persecuted, jailed and
killed for it. When God sent someone like these
individuals out of the bull
pen you best take heed and understand that
this is your wake up call. Is
that only Old Testament?
Well let's
see, enter John the Baptist and his message was not "I love you
and so
does God." He name called, preached a hard message to the religious,
warned about God's wrath with fire, and demanded fruit meet for
repentance
(Mt.3:5-12). And must I note that he was a voice "crying in
the wilderness"
which is not weeping or lamenting but crying out loud.
Understand that one
must do it the way God wants it done. Noah did not
just build a boat, nor
were four walls lifted and called a temple. But
these were done the way God
specifically wanted it done, we have
consistency in both Old and New
Testaments.
Did Jesus ever preach
God loves you just the way you are to anyone? That is
common today, was
it with Jesus? His message was repent (Mt.417) and our
Lord did raise
His voice (see John 7:28, 37) also read feeding the thousands
and
teaching them. Without raising the voice? Jesus preached more on hell
fire than the love of God, and talk about name calling read Matthew 23,
or
he condemned whole generations for being faithless and adulterous. He
"Woe'ed"
three cities that now no longer exist, He upbraided those
cities that did
not repent (that is the strongest form of rebuke) and if
His whole life was
preaching love and forgiveness why would they kill
Him? Did he not tell
the disciples "The world cannot hate you; but me it
hateth, because I
testify of it, that the works thereof are evil." This
is the reason they
hated and killed our Lord. He testified that the
world was evil which our
job is as public preachers, not to gain favor
with people. We expose sin in
the public place where it parades and
offer the remedy to the problem. Who
cares if I offend the whole world,
my hope is not to offend God.
Acts chapter two we find Peter on the
day of Pentecost lifting up his voice
as he preached (Acts 2:14) and no
where do we God loves you preached once
but many verses on judgment. Why
is it so common today? What the common
message has always been is
"Repent" which means a change of mind, heart or
lifestyle...so much for
God wants you just the way you are. Let us look at
Stephen's public
sermon to find God and Jesus loves you. Acts chapter seven
we read that
Stephen gave a history lesion and ended saying "Ye stiffnecked
and
uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost as
your fathers did, so do ye." Of course they attacked him and killed him.
Maybe if Stephen proclaimed more on Gods love he could have ministered
longer, maybe all the apostles should have done this so they would not
have
been persecuted, beaten, jailed and killed for their faith. SIDE
BAR: (even
the book of Mormon has a picture of a man preaching or
yelling to people
below shooting arrows at him) SIDE BAR
OVER.
Does the Book of Acts have an ending or should that style of
preaching
continue today? ....Selah....
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