Brothers and Sisters. As I write this I am both filled with joy and yet I also have a warning for those professing Jesus as Lord and Saviour. I am filled with joy because of what Christ did for us by dying on the cross. He was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities… A new birth awaits the sinner by the grace of God and His sovereign plan of salvation. I am thankful that old things are passed away, BEHOLD all things are become new! Miracles of miracles, I rejoice with great praise for the Lord Jesus is alive! I thank God for being merciful through the blood of Jesus Christ. Oh how wonderful it is to follow Jesus and how I love to tell the story of Jesus and His love.
However, brethren, the view of God, of Scripture, of what a Christian walk should look like Biblically appears to me to have gotten infected! Spiritual disease has permeated itself into the church. Sin is in the camp and mushy messages from the pulpit are not helping matters and in fact it is making things worse. Cultural relativism and humanism abounds, so beware. Beware the culture is running the church! Don’t think that your church is exempt. Examine yourself for be sure your sin will find you out. Our beautiful and once God fearing nation is drifting without a sail and we are headed for the rocks of despair because of so much sin.
Our churches in this nation have found entertainment to be its joy. No longer is Christ their suffiency. The clock runs the service instead of the Holy Spirit. A nation where abortions abound even by professing Christians. A nation where elders and preachers continually are admitting that they are soaking their lives in pornography and adultery. Churches in America even have women pastors when the Bible is clear about our roles. Who will stand up for Jesus? Who will be a voice for God and not be afraid to speak out against atrocities? It is shocking how sin abounds in the lives of those we refer to as Christians.
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. 1 John 2:16-17
The grief is almost too much to endure. Our youth don’t obey their parents. They have short attention spans because they have been raised by having sat for hours in front of the “helivision”. Children attend public schools that teach atheism, evolution, and tolerance of homosexuality and every kind of sexual perversion. They are taught that it has taken God’s creation billions of years to get this far. And parents think nothing of it! Hey, I went to public school, I speak from experience. Young people will spend hours playing games at Christian youth groups and only a few precious minutes in the Word of God. Christian women and girls are showing off their skin, lingerie, and cleavage and attend church while dressed this sinful way thinking that it is the “style”, so it is ok. Cleavage is fine to display to the world? This is no joke, look around and see the shame. And husbands and pastors are not saying anything about it. If they were, they would preach it from the pulpits. What has happened to holiness? Modesty? Righteousness? Purity? Godliness? Joy?
Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. 2 Cor 6:17-18
I believe joy is being robbed from people because of their lack of obedience to their Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Professing Christians are living in SIN, willfully! Churches are afraid to confront sin head on anymore. The sinner is told to take two tablets per day instead of the pastors preaching “get on your knees and pray”. We are a “quick fix, get it taken care of at no cost to you” society. Joy is being stolen by satan while he convinces the believer that God is no longer in the business of doing miracles. Sinning saints are being taught that instead of being changed, they will continue to be chained!
Does the man who is saved from the burning building show appreciation and thankfulness by running back into the building? Does the man who saved him sit by idle and as he returns to the burning building to get burned again and probably die just say,”He just loves burning buildings. He just can’t help himself. Maybe someday he will be able to stop running back into them…” Friends, we are dealing with fire here and it is hell fire. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Ephesians 6:12 This walk with Jesus Christ is a serious spiritual endeavor.
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. James 4:7-10
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light; Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; 1 Peter 2:9-11
There appears to be a watered down Christian world view that many people are using to justify their lack of fruit as they are claiming salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ. The worldly Christian is justifying sin! Plain and simple. He is enslaved to it. He is not believing in freedom from his sin but believing he is free to sin! I can hardly stand by and watch so many be deceived. The born again believer claims the same Jesus as the worldly saint and the two are eternities apart. The secret sinner is a wobbly sinner and they love their sin. Their faith is built on a shifting foundation. Why aren’t we warning people. Why aren’t we disturbed by such lukewarmness in the church.
Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. Psalm 16:11
Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. Psalm 51:12
James, the half brother of Christ, said he found joy in trials and temptations. He knew that it would strengthen him and keep him relying on Christ daily so that he would be given the strength not to sin. James said that, A double minded man is unstable in all his ways Js 1:8
But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. James 1:14-15
Repent and have faith in Jesus. There it is. Really plain and simple. You must be born again!
I believe that secret sin is keeping the believer from having the joy of Christ in their life. The fruits of the Spirit are NOT being used as a check list to examine ones self. It is being used as a way to excuse oneself.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. Gal 5:22-24
The secret sinner says, “well, God is just taking a bit more time with me.” ”I haven’t quite been given enough self control to stop looking at pornography.” ”drinking beer with the fellas is fine because I’m not getting drunk”, ”I have to cheat on my taxes”, “I just can’t stop yelling at my wife, I just need more time”… Be sure your sin will find you out!
Are we only reading what the fruits are in the book of Galatians and then just moving on throughout our busy day? Should we not be reading about these fruits and asking,”are these fruits in my life” ”are they abounding?” Or are we reading verse 24 of Galations 5 and coming under conviction, “And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.” How beautiful is that 24th verse. There is assurance and joy and peace in that verse. A believer in Christ Jesus has crucified the flesh, the Bible says so. If you have a problem with verses like that don’t get mad at the pastor, take it up with God! How strange the world now looks. How distant the desires of the flesh are to those who are in Christ. The beauty and the freedom there now is in the desires of our heart. A testimony is given and by those in Christ it abounds. The joy of knowing Jesus in this way is beyond anything that could have been described or detailed to us prior to dying to ourselves and carrying our cross daily. The cost has been counted and now the fruits are apparent!
The secret sinner has no joy in Jesus because he has no wisdom and doesn’t fear God. Someone asked me recently if we should use the word awe instead of fear so that we can relate to people and not scare them off to describe our response to knowing God and believing in the truth about Christ. The Bible says fear! We need to stop taking the bite out of the sharpness of God’s Holy and perfect Word! We need to fear God. I believe if we feared God we would obey God as the writer in Proverbs describes for us to do (Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. Proverbs 3:7).
The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him. Psalm 34:7-9
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 Is a secret sinner really wanting joy? Does the secret sinner really love and fear God? Our whole duty is to fear God and keep His commandments.
My flesh trembleth for fear of thee; and I am afraid of thy judgments. Psalm 119:120
What about grace? You may ask where the grace of our Lord is in the message that I share in this blog update.
For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Titus 2:11-13 Grace teaches us to do certain things as the Lord says in the above verse of Titus 2:11-13: -stop being ungodly -stop lusting after the world -be sober (grave, serious, temperate); life is not one big joke-stop kidding so much -follow after the righteous teachings of Jesus (do them) -do it NOW! In this life! delaying and looking for excuses later will be too late. -look for the return of Jesus!
A broad way is traveled by many professing Christians. Many believing that it is this broad way that is acceptable to God perhaps because many around us are on the same road. Friends, Christ did not pave this broad way with His blood. He paved the narrow way with His blood. The broad way will lead you to HELL.
Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. Matthew 15:7-8
The narrow way leads to life. It is through one man and His name is Jesus. It is displayed to the world by your outward testimony and fruits of faith. Have you no desire to be separate? Have you no desire to be no longer a friend of the world? On the narrow way is the born again believer on his walk with God, and will for the most part be hated for it. You will be viewed as extreme, intolerant, legalistic, and an outsider. As a narrow way believer Jesus cannot be just your Saviour but He is your Lord. As a narrow gate believer you will obey Jesus and NOT be a secret sinner. You will hate your sin, run from your sin, and be given new thoughts. Do broad way Christians still get to go to heaven? Of course not. Wrath is to come! God’s glory is at stake. You must be born again…
And so it is. The world awaits your demise secret sinner and for the most part the American church tolerates it. Even the world knows that your joy is not real. The world holds its breath for you to walk away from your faith and be ensnared to sin. The world wants you to use the culture as the standard to be measured by and not use Christ as the standard.
When God saves you, he saves you radically. Death to life, converted and transformed. The power of God in your life will transform you from the inside out. The Holy Ghost will actually indwell you. Do you desire the Spirit of God to reside in you? How much room have you allowed for Him to come in? Is there so much sin in your life secret sinner that The Holy Spirit couldn’t possibly reside there? You will be given new desires and you will run from your sin as a born again Bible believing God honoring Christian. You will actually read your Bible and prefer it over all other forms of reading. Hating even the thought that you were at one time enslaved to SIN. Change is actually demonstrated by the works that you have in your life and there will be fruits of salvation.
Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences. 2 Corinthians 5:11
You do not have to be a willful, deliberate, careless sinner. Modern day churches will tell you that struggling with pornography is just that, a struggle. Your sin is not refered to as sin it is called struggles… you are told that many men have the same “struggle”. I have a question for the reader. Does your your wife just have to get used to you looking at pornography? Googling at women on the internet? What does she think of you and your secret sinning. What does your wife think of you going out with the fellas and drinking beer? When you come home you lie about how many drinks you have had and just brush it off as her deserving to be lied to because she is just too nosey! Is that a sign of holiness for you to be guzzling beer and watching the game for hours with the fellas away from the family? Is your cigarette a sign of holiness? Secret sinner, does your wife think that your life that is viewed at the church gathering is the same as the one that she sees at home?
Christian beware:
Consider how many churches will look at anything that is counter cultural as extreme and therefore legalistic. Being counter cultural cannot save you. Neither can not sinning save you. You become counter cultural and stop your enslavement to sin BECAUSE YOU ARE SAVED.
And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Lk 6:46
Churches are now telling their congregations that Gospel tracts don’t work anymore and open air preaching is not biblical or at least outdated, and that going door to door is only an opportunity to invite people to church not an opportunity to share Good News with a hell bound sinner. Churches will tell you that we don’t need to share the Gospel we have to just live it out in our lives so that people will see Christ in us. Now that is contrary to Scripture. You may be told from pastors and fellow Christians that Scripture relating to not doing certain things are pretty much just recommandations from God but certainly not commands from him. You will probably be encouraged that you are a Christian because you asked Jesus into your heart, you said a prayer, therefore you are a Christian. A prayer never saved anybody, only God can save souls. You will be told that you are just a struggling carnal Christian if you have willful sin in your life. You are told that you used to sin but now you just struggle.
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:17
Dear reader. We must call sin what it is. It is the transgression of God’s law. When we struggle it may be something like, your finances are tight. Or perhaps there is an injury or disease in the family. But please lets call sin what it is. I truly believe that we must address sin head on. Call it what it is and then realize the consequences of it, death. The Bible says that it is a narrow way. Are we walking the narrow way? If so, good. If not, bad, now go before God and turn from the sin. Get a change of mind, He will grant it to you. Trust in Him for deliverance and for a new life and for salvation and He will save you! CRY OUT TO GOD! He is so merciful and yet He is calling us to repentance and faith in Him!
I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me. Psalm 101:3
Secret sinners justify gossip, holiness is outdated, movies are fine to watch even though blasphemy and “love scenes” are in the movies. Television is good because it helps you relax even though the shows that you are watching are filthy, and really all it is, is watching sin unfold before your eyes. Watch how excited men get while talking about the baseball game that was on TV last night.
Secret sinners don’t have God glorifying relationships with their wife. Your wife will never submit to you because she is not satisfying you. Secret sinners make jokes about their wife to people and people laugh. You would think that women would be keepers of the home so as to raise up God fearing children while the husband earns a living for the family. But no! Slavery to debt and wanteness put both man and woman in the work force so that women are out in the work force away from the family. Secret sinners don’t like women wearing dresses or skirts because it seems legalistic and allow their wife or daughter to wear revealing clothing and lingere is sticking out from her shirt…
Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. Isaiah 55:6-8
Friends, today is the day of salvation. Let us preach from the roof tops what has been whispered in our ears. These truly are end times, so let’s live like it is. The harvest is rich for the harvest. Who will we tell this world the truth about Jesus and a life that is enslaved to Him. The world has ensnared the young men of the church and carnality is keeping them from serving Jesus. I believe that in these hard and trying times we need men that are willing to forsake all and go tell the story of Jesus and His love, to warn sinners of the wrath to come. We need to tell people that their lives can be radically converted for the Lord’s glory. The joy of Christ abounds and victory is at hand. We are saved to share with the world what Jesus has done in our lives. With testimony, comes profession of faith. Paul said all he knew was Christ and Him crucified. To live is Christ and to die is gain, Paul said. Is Christ our all in all? Do we need a wake up call as believers and really start believing? Our God is an awesome God. Lord, let us believe. Let us trust. Let us have joy that surpasses all understanding. Let us repent and be holy. May God have mercy and may He be glorified!
Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. Psalm 16:11
Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart. Psalm 32:11
Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance. Psalm 89:15
Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. Isaiah 12:3
Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts. Jeremiah 15:16
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So where have we been for the last couple of weeks? Well, we have been in New York City with Repent and Witness reaching out to this lost and dying generation with the Gospel. Click here to find out more about the camp and perhaps next year you may like to attend!
It was a wonderful opportunity to tell people about Christ. A couple of situations stand out as being amazing. One man who was living in Union Square Park and was homeless, repented and made a profession to walk with Jesus. He followed us each day as we went from location to location. And one of the evangelists reports about a woman that was witnessed to in Washington Square park that made a profession of faith with a real repentant heart. She had HIV and just a real hard life. After repenting she told her husband he needed to repent too. He didn’t want anything to to with Jesus. And one of the evangelists has been following up with her since the RW outreach…
“Danielle was sadly gang raped and that’s how she initially got HIV. That weekend, it became AIDS. When she was crying out to God she said that she was beat in the face “the other day” because she would “not give up her body”. She also said she only had a “few days” to live because her T-Cell count was low and she was a drug user. I still lift her up and pray she is saved and healing with the encouragement of her father, who she says is a Christian. Also, that the Lord saves the husband, too and they can have a holy relationship unto God!”
We also did Subway preaching, ferry preaching, park preaching, witnessing 1-2-1…it was just beautiful. I believe Repent and Witness is already taking applications for next year so don’t delay in signing up soon.
Recently we also got to preach in a couple of downtown areas. One was in Ithaca, NY where I went with Adam Sabo, Paul Colgan, Nathaniel Hawkins, and Will Holes. It was a Friday night and people were milling around the downtown area. We handed out tracts, witnessed, and preached. The highlight of the night was witnessing to two Jehovah “false” Witnesses. Two men approached me after I handed them tracts and acted as though they were just interested in asking questions. As the conversation unfolded, I began to realize that they were trying to corner me with their craftiness and deception and falsely witnessing to me. Fortunately, I had a few verses written in the back of my Bible that helped quite a bit so that I could be prepared and boldly stand for the truth about Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, they do not believe Jesus Christ is who He says He is. It ended up being a very good conversation as I got them to admit that we do disagree and only one of us can be right, but not both of us. They also admitted that if they were wrong in their beliefs, according to what the Bible states regarding eternal punishment in hell, then they would be spending an eternity there. The next day I returned but this time I brought the p.a. I had no problem with the police or any type of city official as far as using amplification. The police just stood by and watched and kept the people who gathered in order! I had no idea if I would be allowed to use amplification, but it helps sometimes because I can be more conversational instead of having to strain my voice to be heard. One man came up to me and wept in my arms. Another came up and asked for prayer. I also answered a woman’s questions who was admittedly a pot smoker but claiming to be a Christian. I gave her some Scripture to read and challenged her to obey what she reads. It was a beautiful day!
Last weekend I went to a Riverfest in Sunbury, PA. I drove a half hour to the town hoping that the festival would draw lots of people to hear the Gospel. As I arrived, I realized the the streets were closed off and for such a small town there were tons of people. A prayer station was set up with three men so I walked over to encourage them to continue in their battle of obeying the Great Commission. The one man asked what I was about to do, I guess because he saw that I was carrying my Bible! So I explained that I was about to preach. He was so thankful to hear that I was going to preach that he stopped witnessing to the woman he was with and on the spot prayed for me to have strength and to preach boldly. I walked away encouraged and the Lord lead me to a spot that was on a corner only a couple hundred feet from their prayer station. Well, I lifted up my voice and thanked the Lord for all of His blessings. I preached right out of the Bible and wouldn’t you know it a crowd gathered. One of the best hecklers I have ever encountered confronted me in my preaching. He was really nasty. Other hecklers came as well, mostly foul mouthed ones. But other people stood and listened and asked questions and then Christians showed up! It was a great day.
Click on images below to enlarge:
Repent and Witness evangelists '10
Shawn Holes NYC preaching with Repent and Witness -we were allowed to use amplification as the masses walked through the line to take a boat to Liberty Island
preaching the Gospel in Washington Square Park NYC with Repent and Witness
Will Holes seen here photographing Miles and Katie Lewis' wedding. Pouring rain did not stop us from getting some great shots.
Buffalo Valley Christian Fellowship annual picnic. We were able to attend and had sweet fellowship with our believing brothers and sisters
More Pennsylvania brothers and sisters
Will Holes helps the brethren butcher 55 chickens
Here are some wonderful Scriptures that I pray will draw you closer to the Lord. May they be an encouragement to you!
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17
Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. Psalm 51:1-2
Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. 2 Timothy 4:2-5
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:1-2
Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. Romans 6:6
If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 1 John 1:6
And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. Ephesians 5:11
Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. 1 Peter 1:13-16
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. 1 John 2:16-17
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. Psalm 51:17
May we be small so that He may be great. To be dead to our old selves and to experience the new life in Christ! We owed a debt we could never repay. Jesus Christ paid it in full.
There are a few campuses that the Lord has lead us to again this year in Pennsylvania and of course the Univ. of Vermont.
Schedule:
Mon. Aug. 30 Penn State, PA
Tues. Aug. 31 Penn State, PA
Wed. Sept. 1 Loch Haven, PA
Thur. Sept. 2 Shippensburg, PA
Fri. Sept. 3 Juniata College, PA
Tues. Sept. 6-9 Prep for Camp Meetings
Fri.-Sun. Sept. 10-12 Ohio Camp Meetings
My prayer is for sinners to repent and have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. I want to see a great awakening on the college campuses. If you are close to these campuses please invite many others to attend as well and forward this schedule on to other believers. We need more laborers that are willing to do 1-2-1 witnessing, handing out of tracts, and perhaps the Lord would call some to preach. Women and children may attend but they must be warned that vulgarities and stiff necked God haters will abound.
I will be departing for Ohio on September 8th for three days of camp meetings. They have asked me to preach four messages over three days. The Lord is stretching me and I am requesting your prayers… I am counting on the Holy Spirit to give me utterance.
From there be it the Lord’s will, we will be in Ohio for a while then continue to travel to more campuses and yes, street corners, churches, parks, etc., lifting up our voices to proclaim the Good News of our Lord across this dark sin drenched nation of ours. We are in prayer about preaching in 2o states prior to the Christmas college break. Some of the campuses we have been to, and others we will be preaching on for the first time. May God be brought glory as obedience to His great commission is always on our hearts and lips… evangelism is not an event it is a lifestyle.
Run the race as if to win and don’t look back. Our Lord Jesus has promised to return, I pray we are ready.
Your brother in Christ,
Shawn
Filed under: Campus Preaching, Open Air Preaching, Shawn Holes, Street Meetings | 5 Comments »
