The King of love, my Shepherd is. This website and manuscript is dedicated to the King of kings and Lord of lords -- my Savior, and all that He stands for. All to Jesus. Amen. [Galatians 2:20]

                                   Be a blessing today and tell others about Jesus.

                   Soldiers of Revival. PO Box 328835 Columbus, Ohio 43232.

                         A Tempest in the Day of the Whirlwind.

Based on Amos 1:14. This is an ongoing manuscript for revival in America.

This New Year Calling for Revival and Reformation

          Advance the Gospel !!

                  Revival: Plant It In Your Mind!! Purpose It In Your Heart!!!

                                Are you sanctified, separated, and serving?

“Community change only happens through the transforming power of the Gospel. Only Christians with compassion and a willingness to pay the price can make a lasting impact in their neighborhood. If we “pass by” without offering the hope of salvation, who will stop for the lost?” [Paul Chappell]

The Great Commission

“Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature.” [Mark 16:16]

“All power is given unto Me (Jesus) 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.” [Matthew 28:18-20]

We Pray, O Lord…

… For those who look to us for help and strength, and instruction. We pray for this ministry, that You will bless us who labor in it, and that you would sustain the work. Undergird us: provide, protect and keep us -- use us to Your great glory !! Continue, O Lord, to open doors for us. And give us courage and endurance to stand up to the apostasy and departure in our churches, that all who name the name of Jesus Christ will heed the divine call to be separated from the world; to be militant as we stand against sin, meanness, and all manner of falsehood and error. In Jesus’ precious name we pray and for His sake. Amen.

We Are What We Believe.

“What we believe determines what we do. It’s in the eternal purpose of God that we should believe in God. You and I should believe in Jesus Christ. You and I should believe in the words He has given us. You and I should believe that we possess eternal life. These “believes” completely occupy, they completely absorb us, they have made us what we are and we’re going to stay that way.” [Carl McIntire]

Looking Toward Revival !!!

May the Fire Fall !!!

“There is a vast difference between what the Christianity we see about us today and the Christianity that you find in the New Testament.” [William MacDonald]

Evangelization IS the Work of the Church !!

"There is nothing in the world or in the church -- except the church’s disobedience -- to render the evangelization of the world in this generation an impossibility." [Robert Speer]

There are still some very fine churches in our land who are faithful to their calling and their roots, are still consistently Biblical, but they are getting scarcer and scarcer while the great “milquetoast and puffery” churches have surged onto our vista in unprecedented numbers. [DR]

“Go ye therefore …..” “We are to go. That means to go where they are. It doesn’t mean to put up a single on the door saying, ‘If anybody wants to get saved, inquire within.’ It means you are to look them up, track them down. You are to go where they are.” [Jack Hyles]

“The Scriptures are not geared to frivolity, and the tone of the Gospel, while it is indeed Good News, is Good News of a feast and not a frolic. No great revival ever started in fun-making nor ran on such fuel. There is joy aplenty, but it is the heavenly joy of the Spirit of God and not the silly antics of human clowning under religious auspices.” [Vance Hanover]

Church Is All About Evangelism.

1. An evangelist is a person who with Scriptural zeal and obedience “goes into all the world” to preach the Gospel, and is usually (and should be) a strong and burdened soul-winner. Like missions, it is the natural outgrowth of a healthy church that understands the nature of the Gospel and who obeys the mandate to propagate it.

2. Evangelism, to be successful, must be an intended work of the church. The individual has a responsibility to go and preach the Gospel, as well.

3. Evangelism involves all the church wherever a church exists.

4. Special designation of evangelists and missionaries is essential, reflecting divine calling, and involving full-time evangelism using spiritual gifts.

5. A foundation theology and the affirmation of doctrinal purity are essential for all evangelical/mission work.

6. Prayer and unity assure evangelical fruitfulness and obedience to the world-wide call of Jesus Christ.

7. Accountability to the church is assumed and expectation of obedience to sound Biblical principles.

8. Conversion accompanied by growth and maturity in the church form the focus of all evangelical/mission efforts.

9. Compassionate ministries along with evangelism must constantly be developed and guarded and preserving the integrity of the gospel work and its priority over social responsibility and other concerns. .

10. The principles of sowing the seed, planting, watering, and harvesting are applied to the work of evangelizing in recognition of God’s effective call to everyone to believe in Christ.

11. Gospel witness is through multiplication under the power of the Holy Spirit. Mission is the work of God; the church is only a partner in the Gospel, yet God has commissioned the people of the church to do His evangelizing on the earth.

Coming Nigh Unto Battle.

“When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the Lord thy God is with thee …And it shall be, when ye are come nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people, and shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them. For the Lord your God is He that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.” [Deuteronomy 20:1-4]

Looking Toward Revival !!! May the Fire Fall !!!

A Sign on a Church Marquee.

                   “If not now, when? If not us, who? If not here, where?”

The church I’m most critical of is the church who talks too little about the Lord of glory, and how He shed His atoning and precious blood for a wretch such as I. I can not stand to see His holy name blurred by patronizing preaching, by innocuous church activities, and in frivolous congregational afterthoughts.

What the Church Is Given to Do.

“The mission of the church on earth is to testify against the world, to preach the Gospel of grace, to make mankind to see that the world will never be better until Jesus brings order out of chaos, and peace out of turmoil.” [Oliver B. Greene]

Great churches are not built with spare time and pocket change. (author unknown]

The reason many send boys to do a man’s work is because the men are doing the boys’ work. David was a teenager when he went gladly to fight Goliath while a vast number of older solders looked on -- and held their breath !!

The true greatness of any church is not how many it seats, but how many it sends. (author unknown]

The Devil has no real interest in destroying the church. He wants to run it. (author unknown]

What unique role has God called your local church to play in helping fulfill the Great Commission?

Is Your Church Obeying These Imperatives?

[This is loosely based on an outline seen in The Sword of the Lord, June 13, 2009.]

1. The Authority of the Bible.

The church, the pastor, and the rest hold the Bible, the Word of God, to be our supreme authority.

Look especially and see if the full counsel of the Bible is preached and taught. So often a half-gospel of positivism is preached. Don’t let the shouting on the stage fool you, they make a lot of noise but they’re predictably just boys playing with toys.

2. The Centrality of the Church.

This is the activity center. Here we gather and here we serve.

Look especially and see if it is a fellowship of believers or an entertainment center for whoever comes.

3. The Primacy of Preaching.

The pulpit is center stage at the church house. Here the Bible is taught and preached. Here we are exhorted (urged) and rebuked as needed. (Titus 2:15)

Look especially and see if it the pulpit is too often the place of frivolity, entertainment, or milquetoast and saccharine antics; self-adulation; and/or circumventive of Biblical warning and sin contempt. If things seem all to conveniently rosy-cozy, or the reverse being dead and formalistic, then the church may be inching its way away from being a faithful New Testament church.

4. The Preeminence of Christ.

Everything points to the Savior !! He is our Commander in Chief, our Lord, and our God.

John Newton is remembered for his great hymn, Amazing Grace. In his later years, he often lost his memory in the pulpit and had to be reminded of the subject about which he had been preaching. He said, “My memory is nearly gone, but it remembered two things: that I am a great sinner and that Jesus is a great Savior. (Victory Baptist Press)

Is the congregation gathered because of the entertainment, the preacher, the social character, a special service, or out of church traditions? It’s a tragedy of life everywhere that good deeds are very appealing, but are far more commonly the subject than the result of action. And they can easily become the center of attention, often deposing Christ from His rightful centrality and focus.

You do not do good works to gain favor with God (or man). You demonstrate your faith by your works and those works are done for no other reason than you love the One who loved you and who gave Himself for you.

“Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.” [James 2:18]

5. The Priority of Soul-winning.

Our task is clearly laid out in the New Testament. Starting at our doorstep, we reach to the far side of the planet with the message of the Gospel. [Matthew 4:19; 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; 5:42]

Many self-proclaiming fundamentalist churches today are what the Bible calls “double minded” (unstable in all their ways, see James 1:8) in that they make a pretense of having a soul winning ministry but are very selective as to what kind of people they want in their church, and work only in the “streams” of population that would render that kind of person.

Families are always a high priority and the primary desired outcome is numerical church growth (not spiritual increase).

They often apply marketing techniques, create special programs (strategies), and send a somewhat tailored, often minced, message for the congregation. I’ve seen this on an increasing scale as of late and I’ve concluded that it’s little less than keeping up appearances while riding the tailcoats of fundamental Christianity (staying reputable), but avoid all the other trappings of an otherwise strong evangelically-determined church.

A church who has discontinued soul-winning has sold out, or in some other way has dampened, darkened, or discredited its meaning and mission. .

6. The Necessity of Godliness.

“Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.” [Titus 2:12]

We are not offended by standards of personal conduct. To the contrary, we expect them, nurture them, apply them to our own lives.

Again, sometimes a good amount of lip service is extended toward righteousness in the church, but in the day-to-day activity of the church, sin is condoned, sinners are mollycoddled, and persons of character who raise concerns are muffled.

When a church supports or heeds erroneous doctrinal and false theology (such as modernism), and it will not be corrected, your exit orders are already in our hands. These days don’t be surprised if you have to take to the highway more than once, but it will be God‘s Highway, and not some slippery slope.

Looking Toward Revival !!! May the Fire Fall !!!

Wake the church and tell the people !!

No Apology Given.

“Jesus is humble, and His servants must not be proud; but Jesus was never mean and cowardly, nor must His servants be. There was no braver man than Christ. He could stoop to save a soul, but He would stoop to nothing by which His character might be compromised or truth and righteousness insulted. To preach the Gospel boldly is to deliver it as such a message ought to be delivered. Blush to preach of a dying Savior? Apologize for talking about the Son of God condescending to be made man that He might redeem us from all iniquity? Never.” [Charles Haddon Spurgeon]

They Just Don’t Mix.

“Fundamentalism and modernism (liberalism) are as far apart as the two poles, as unlike as day and night, as dissimilar as Heaven and Hell. The are absolutely irreconcilable.” [Dr. William Troup]

Looking Toward Revival !!! May the Fire Fall !!!

“Woe to the rebellious children, saith the Lord, that take counsel, but not of Me; and that cover with a covering, but not of My Spirit, that they may add sin to sin…” [Isaiah 30:1]

Read the Book of Philemon.

What Makes a Great New Testament Church?

1. A deep appreciation for properly conducted church life. (vv. 4-5)

   A. Praying for others. “… making mention of you in my prayers.”

   B. Having a deep faith and reverence for Christ.

   C. Possessing a compelling desire to preach and teach Christ.

   D. A love for souls, a burden for the lost.

2. A deep appreciation for the benefits in Jesus Christ (v. 6). Jesus has:

   A. Broken the grip of sin. 1 John 5:18.

   B. Bridged the gap between us and God. Romans 5:1-2.

   C. Given the Holy Spirit as our teacher. John 16:13.

   D. Clarified our purpose in life. Galatians 1:16.

   E. Bestowed His love upon us, and that love is to be shared.

3. A rich spirit within the churchgoer. (v. 7). 

   A. Of joy -- that inner well-being not dependent upon external accomplishments.

   B. Of comfort -- hearts have been refreshed (rejuvenated).

   C. Of responsibility, mission, and service for Christ.

4. A place where lives can be transformed to the glory of God. (vv. 8-10). 

   A. The atmosphere is Jesus-filled.

   B. Soul-winning is the most visible and effective ministry.

   C. There is clear indication that the Holy Spirit of God is active in the church meeting, and that He is acknowledged, appreciated, and adhered to, and is relied upon to lead the church in its soul winning mandate.

The Stricken Churches.

Poverty-stricken as the churches are today in many things, she is most stricken here, in this place of prayer. We have many organizers, but few agonizers; many players and payers, few pray-ers; many singers, few clingers; lots of pastors, few wrestlers; many fears, few tears; much fashion, little passion; many interferers, few intercessors; many writers, but few fighters. Failing here, we fail everywhere. [Read Why Revival Tarries, by Leonard Ravenhill]

But prayer must be associated with action.

It may not be ours to (successfully) convert the world, but our Commander’s orders are explicit, to carry the glad tidings (the Gospel) to every soul. [Free Grace Broadcaster]

The Church: At One with the World.

Again, the Gospel is the norm by which the world is judged, unless it becomes the gospel shaped by each faddish thought in the name of relevance. Erasing distinctions between the Scriptures and the world is always destructive to the church. [author unknown]

For a long time, great men of God have decried the way the churches have pretty much become one with the world, having little of the distinctiveness that the true New Testament church had for so many centuries. The churches have thereby taken away the mandated boundaries that would not only divide the sheep from the goats, but the precious from the vile. [DR]

But at the risk of being hated more than we already are, let’s take it one step further than that.

It’s no longer a matter of mere tolerance of worldliness, the churches might as well hang a big fat sign on their front door that says, “Your sin is safe here.” They aid and abet sin, they mollycoddle the sinner and stand up for him over the people of character. They let the scoundrels run loose in the church like they own the place, they go out of their way to make the speaking of sin scarce in the pulpit, and there are certain verses of Scripture and words of the Christian faith that you will never hear in these churches, even in the most fundamentalist of churches, or seemingly so on the surface anyway.

And if you listen carefully, you will hear the soft pitter-patter of raindrops upon the mellifluous umbrella of love, kindness, and compassion -- Heaven help the man who demands propriety and accountability.

And they (these churches) never have taken the blame for any of this horrible mess we‘re in, this country of ours going to Hell in a hand basket. After all, they’ been nothing but kind and inoffensive, how could they possibly be to blame?

It’s pure selfishness: they do it to bring in the new and keep the old. If walls went up to encumber conduct, the new wouldn’t come and the old wouldn’t stay -- and the first ones out the door will be the clergy.

So we’ve gone to milquetoast and puffery which is nothing less than a milksop preacher, seeker-friendly theology, and selectively marketed Christianity.

Conscience has gone out of America because America has taken the fear out of sinful behavior, everyone wants to take a shot at winning through sinful means without fear of consequence.

The Church Acting Like the World.

“A whisperer separateth chief friends.” (Proverbs 16:28)

Whispering, gossip, false appearances, double-dealing, trickery, flattery, insincerity, and witty invention are great sins. They are done willfully and are well calculated. They reveal a deep malice in the heart. They are the result of having a bone to pick, a point to prove, an axe to grind, a score to settle, an agenda to push, and/or an ego to soothe. They are always part of a larger diabolic plot of revenge or destruction.

You cannot be like Christ by doing these things. Do you really believe that God does not see? Then, as we might expect, you do not read your Bible.

“Behold, the eyes of the Lord God are upon the sinful kingdom.” [Amos 9:8]

Seek REVIVAL my friend, beginning with you.

"Wilt Thou not revive us again: that Thy people may rejoice in Thee.” [Psalm 85:6] We are not beyond revival, but not a milqueotast festival or a seeker-sensitive jamboree, but a genuine, old-time, rawboned, Holy Ghost Revival !!!!! All to Jesus. (Galatians 2:20)

Pressing Onward.

Onward Christian soldiers. Like a mighty army,

Moves the church of God; Brothers, we are treading

Where the saints have trod; We are not divided,

All one body we, One in hope and doctrine, one in charity.

[Old Hymn]

Many Folks See the Church As a…

… playground, an entertainment center, a social club, a coffee house, a place where they can be seen for their piety, a place where their good works will be honored, a place where their egos can be soothed, a place where they can forget their troubles for an hour, a place where their consciences can be eased for a time, a place where they can drop off their children, a place where they can store up enough morality to get you by for a day or two, a place where they can impose themselves onto a steady diet of liberal theology, a place where they can hear milquetoast and puffery until it comes out of their ears. [DR]

“Our churches today are filled with a soft breed of Christians who must be constantly fed a diet of fun.” [William MacDonald]

Looking Toward Revival !!! May the Fire Fall !!!

Men are to timid to tell people all the truth and ask men to give to God what costs them nothing. [William MacDonald] The higher the price, the more determined I am to set out on the Lord’s work. And I love to flaunt my determination, especially at the ravening wolves along the way. I really do, Jesus is on my side, what can they do?

The Test of a Good Church.

Test the message for the Gospel; test the focus of the pastor on Biblical things; test the attitude of the congregation toward sin; test the work of the church against the priority of soul-winning; test the church’s acknowledgement of the power of the Holy Spirit against the level of human pride and self-congratulation. Test the interest of the congregation in the Word of God.

BUT… Remember that the test will not mean anything if you do not know the Book upon which the test is based. [DR]

The rap on today’s church has to be this. People come unto churches today under softened preaching full of promises of the mighty deeds that can be done by someone with a positive outlook (called faith). A super positive gospel, preached by a super positive preacher, subject to super positive doctrine ascribed by super positive bible translations, reared in super positive devotionals, amplified by super positive spokespersons from books and television, fully fueled and embraced by a super positive world church.

Many Folks See the Preacher As A…

Playground supervisor.

Ringmaster.

Orchestra leader.

Game show host.

Court jester

Feudal lord

Authority figure

Father figure

Extraordinary Gentleman

Head of state

Chief cook and bottle washer

Der Fuehrer

What ever became of the shepherd?

There Is Only One True Church.

[See Matt 16:18 Ephesians 5:23]

All born again people belong to the one and only true church, which is the Body of Christ. The New Testament church is not an organization. It is an organism. Jesus is the Head of the New Testament Church, made up of all born again believers -- each one having been baptized into the Body of Christ by the Holy Spirit, thus becoming a member of that body. [See throughout 1 Corinthians chapter 12.]

The Failings of the Modern Churches.

Not long ago, the system of churches held standards of conduct, based on Biblical principles, both for the operation of the church and the people having membership in it. The church’s vision, priorities, and Biblical mandates were clear to anyone, and church discipline kept things orderly. The preacher was almost beyond reproach, or at least not one who was to be easily and all too often criticized. The salient New Testament character and mood were plainly seen.

Words (labels) like “evangelical,” “fundamental,” “conservative,” have taken on such blurred meanings, true people of God fear taking them on. And then there is the milquetoast crowd wanting to claim Jesus Christ as their patron saint of nice, kind, caring, and compassionate.

But in recent years, all of this has been passed under the bridge. Standards, visions, priorities, and mandates are no longer the foodstuff of the church’s personality. The church has become a stage for all manner of seeker-friendly and seeker-keeping activities and strategies, and sentimental values have replaced sound doctrine (even virtue itself at times). It’s almost impossible anymore to identify the lines that separate saints and sinners, they merge with each other so freely, or folks are so quiet and out of the way, you’d never know they were commissioned to preach a blood-bought salvation to a lost and dying world. Most of them have given up any real fight against evil, a fight they are commanded to fight.

And sermons are so dampened down and the great truths of the faith so obscured you can’t tell if you’re in a Christian church or a philosophizing coffee house. The friendliness is so superficial, that people who first become interested by it, soon see through the superficiality -- friendliness seems to be little less than a veiled tactic to bring in new members.

Another desperate problem is that a person who raises concerns of doctrinal or faith practice issues is looked at as a trouble maker. I see and hear of this all the time, and the churches wonder why they cannot keep people coming.

As you grow in Christ, don’t be surprised to find yourself sinning less and less, submitting more and more, serving more and more, sowing more and more, succoring more and more, separating more and more, sacrificing more and more, socializing less and less, and suffering for Christ more and more.

Practical Biblical Imperatives for Godly Obedience.

When you see a distinct contradiction between the churches you see around you and the Scriptures, don’t stop to worry about who’s right or wrong, you get thee hence hither and now. You do not belong in that world, not for one minute more. Your Bible is truth and nothing but and some pews should never be warmed by a child of God. [DR]

“Dwell deep.” Jeremiah 49:8. Immerse yourself in the Word of God. Jesus said, “…Learn of (from) Me; for I am meek (gentle, humble) and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”

“Break up your fallow (untilled) ground…” Jeremiah 4:3; Hosea 10:12. Make your heart a fertile ground for the Holy Spirit to work within you.

“Ask for the old paths.” Jeremiah 6:16. Remember that God is from everlasting and remains faithful to every generation; while the world lives for the “thrill” of a moment in time, the Christian abides in a timeless fellowship with His Master and Maker.

Looking Toward Revival. May the Fire Fall !!!

“So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and His glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.” (Isaiah 59:19)

A Church Ought to Reflect Our Savior.

A church ought to reflect our Savior and not the world, not self, not its congregation, not its ministries, not its intellect or philosophy, not its emotions, not its moral or ethical code, not even its place in the community. There is only one Light of the World, and He is vastly superior to any and all that the world might conjure outside of Him. In His light we will see light [Psalm 36:9], and Christ will light every man that comes into the world. [John 1:9] [DR]

“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times, some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils…” [1 Timothy 4:1]

“While the world may fake Christianity, still there is only one Shepherd -- He’s a good one and He knows those that are His. And there is only one flock and it’s made up of the elect of God who are going to be faithful to Jesus Christ for as long as they have breath and are able to stand.” [Carl McIntire]

“You cannot restrict the Word of God. God will accomplish what He has intended to accomplish by it. This Book will produce in you the same faith that the first century Christians had when they were thrown to the lions.” [Carl McIntire]

“The Spirit says that in the latter days there will be people in the churches … who will try to take over and will give another mixture and call it the Gospel.” [Carl McIntire]

“Anything that is not in keeping with this Book (the Bible) is a doctrine that came from the Devil’s world of darkness and deception. That’s where it came from.” [Carl McIntire]

Right for You or Right for Christ?

Searching for a church that’s right for you may land you in more trouble than it’s worth. Yet, searching for a church that’s right for Christ -- now there’s a real man’s fight -- a fight that’s just right for the fighting fundamentalist. And whole cities will be sharpening their spears and poisoning their arrows with you in their sites. [Just ask John Darby, founder of the brethren movement.]

The devil is just as pleased in seeing a church continuing to compromise, a nominal Christian to remaining nominal, as he is in keeping the vilest murderer murdering. There is nothing on this earth that the Devil despises more than the Christian who grows in the likeness of Christ -- because that means souls will be won and that is something he cannot control (or be at peace about). Nor can he placate such a one as a genuine soul-winner.

A person of God has no choice but to separate himself from sinners, preachers who condone (and even abet) sin in their churches, and churches and preachers who tolerate liberals and modernists, or are themselves to any degree partakers of any form of those.

Many preachers (and their well-coached congregations) get mad at someone who challenges the propriety of their conduct and/or their order of priorities. This is not the anger at the divisive spirit of Romans 16:17, this is simply a denial of the clear responsibility to the Scripture’s imperative that believers not bid Godspeed to wicked men and things, and to men of corrupt doctrine.

The heresies of all heresies today is that the church is a friend and comforter to “poor sinners and heretics” who have somehow made a membership bed in the pews, and in a series of steps, eventually the whole congregation has gotten in bed with him, and has even shared his sinful conduct to make him feel at home. It’s that bad, it‘s that unsavory, it‘s that sick.

Looking Toward Revival !!! May the Fire Fall !!!

Rescue the perishing, care for the dying,

Snatch them in pity from sin and the grave;

Weep o’er the erring one, lift up the fallen,

Tell them of Jesus, the mighty to save.

Rescue the perishing, care for the dying,

Jesus is merciful, Jesus will save !!

Rescue the Perishing

[Paul Chappell, feature article in The Baptist Voice, July 2007]

It has often been said, “What you believe will determine how you behave.” What motivates you in life is what will drive you to do what you end up doing,. The same principle is true in soul winning. When it comes to sharing the Gospel. When it comes to sharing the Gospel to others on a regular basis, sometimes we lack the proper motivation. I believe there are many motivations that will cause someone to leave his comfort zone, and tell others about the Lord, but the greatest of all should be a love for the Lord Jesus Christ.

One of the greatest soul winners who ever lived was the apostle Paul. In 2 Corinthians 5:14 we find out what motivated Paul and caused him to be one of the greatest missionaries this world has ever known. Paul said, “For the love of God constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all men, then were all dead.” Paul’s passion was loving the Savior. And because he loved the Lord Jesus, he did that which was the closest to the heart of God -- reaching out to lost sinners. We do not have to look far in Scripture to know the reason Jesus came to earth. The Bibles tells us in Luke 19:10, “For the Son of man came to seek and to save that which was lost.” The motivation was love and the result was saving sinners. When you lead others to the Savior, you are doing what is closest to the heart of God.

1. The beckon to the soul-winner.

There is a call to every Christian to be a soul-winner. The call is found in Matthew 9:37-38. “Then saith He to His disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers few; pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth laborouers into His harvest. “

While Jesus was on this earth He shared only one prayer request and that was for the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers. He often would pray to His heavenly Father, and answer other people’s prayer requests such as the centurion who had a sick servant. However, the only prayer request ever uttered by our Savior was the one mentioned to His disciples. The prayer request of Jesus was for laborers in the harvest field. This request is not just for the college student. It is not just for the pastor. It is not just for a staff member. A staff-run church is a staff-ruined church. The work of witnessing and spreading the Gospel is for every believer. God did not transfer you to your job now so that you can simply advance your career. He sent you there to advance His kingdom. You are His ambassador in that place.

The beckon of the soul winner is a beckon from without. Jesus Christ is calling us through the Word of God. Jesus said in Matthew 4:19-20, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed Him.

Our world needs men and women who will put some activities aside. The Bible says, “They straightway left their nets.” In John 4:28, the Bible sayts the woman at the well “left her waterpot” top tell others about Jesus Christ. We are not going to see people saved if we are not willing to set down ouor wrenches, set down our crafts, or set down anything else that keeps us from talking to someone about the Lord Jesus.

There also is a beckon from within. Jesus said in Acts 1:8, “But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth. I believe that in every child of God the Holy Spirit puts a burden to tell other people about Jesus Christ. The Bible clearly teaches, “…ye shall receive power, after the Holy Ghost is come upon you…”

I believe great preachers and prophets of yesterday had that burden. The Bible says in Jeremiah 20:9, “Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak anymore in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay. “ Jeremiah said he had a burning within him to ge the word out. One of the things I remember bout the salvation of our children was that each had a burden fopr someone to be saved. Maybe you will recall when you first were saved; there was a desire to tell someone else how to be saved. There was the disappointment when they did not and elation when they did. It was thec all from within. If we are not careful, bcasue of busyness, the call within us can be suppressed.

There is a call fro without and from within. If you will listen for it at work, you will hear. If you will listen this week, God’s Holy Spirit will direct you to someone who needs to be saved.

I have no doubt in my mind this week that God will direct me. He will direct me to someone who needs the Gospel. I have no doubt that as I listen to the Lord, He will give the opportunity to pass out a Gospel tracty, to inivte someone to church, to sit down with someone and share the Gospel message with him.

I just believe the call from without and the call from within are going to lead God’s people to those in need. The question is: will we act upon the call of the Holy Spirit?

2. The beliefs of a soul winner.

What are the beliefs of a soul winning Christian? We know the Bible says in Proverbs 11:30, “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.” But what are the specific beliefs of a soulwinner? Again, what motivates you is what will cause you to do what you end up doing. Convictions are the sparkplugs that keep the engine firing.

As a church, why do we keep preaching? Why do we keep singing? Why do we keep witnessing? Why do we keep having missions conferences? The answer is found in the convictions we have based upon the Word of God. What you believe will determine the way you behave. The basic conviction of the soul winner is that the harvest is urgent. The Bible says in Matthew 9:37, “Then saith He unto His disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few. “

The belief of the soulwinner is found in the belief of the truth about eternity. The Bible says in Revelation 20:`15, “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life, was cast into the lake of fire.” A soul winner has that on his heart every time he shares the Gospel. He believes that someone will either be in Hell for all eternity or that someone will be in Heaven for all eternity.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in Heaven for you.” 1 Peter 1:3-4.

I believe in every relationship, if we truly care about someone, we are going to bring him to that crossroad where he must consider Jesus Christ, to let him know that if he rejects Jesus, he will face Hell for all eternity. I know we do not like to talk about it. Many preachers do not preach about Hell. They skirt the issue, yet they calim to be followers of Jesus. We must understand that it was Jesus Himself who talked more about Hell than He did about Heaven. We must realize that Jesus Christ and His teachings are no salad bar. We cannot pick and choose which doctrines we want to believe. We either tyake the whole message or reject it all together.

3. The burden of the soul winner.

The Bible says in Matthew 9:36, “But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, as sheep having no shepherd.” I do not know about you, but sometimes in life it is easy not to have compassion on people. every time Jesus saw masses of people, He was moved with compassion.

I will never forget going to Beijing, China, a few years ago and having the privilege to preach in small underground meetings. The people literally had to come in hiding their Bibles on the bottom of their backpacks. It was so convicting. I remember hearing their stories about how their relatives and pastors had been beaten and imprisoned for the faith. As we walked out of some of those meetings and up onto the overpass, we would look down the street at what seemed like hundreds of thousands of people just streaming on their way. I remember standing there with Dr. David Gibbs, and weeping over the fact that millions of people have not heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I do not pretend to always have the heart of God, but I know this -- when we have compassion in our hearts toward the lost, that is the heart of God. Compassion is feeling your hurt in my heart. The hurt of the world is that they have sinned, and they know not the remedy of sin.

The Bible says in Psalm 86:15, “But Thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.” Thank God for the compassion of Jesus Christ. How we need to have compassion to pray for the lost. How we need to have compassion to labor for the lost. The Bible teaches is in Psalm 126:6, “They that sow in tears, shall reap in joy.”

4. The blessing of the soul-winner.

It is a blessing to be a soul-winner. I thank God for the privilege of being in the ministry. I have seen God time after time change lives and touch hearts. What a privilege it is to have a part in seeing people’s lives changed by the power of the Gospel. It is a great blessing.

When you lead someone to the Lord, the Bible says that there is prepared crown for you in Heaven. The Bible tells us about it in 1 Thessalonians 2:19: “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming?”

I have never seen someone return from leading someone to Christ who was down in the dumps. After someone has returned from just leading someone to Christ, I have never heard them say, “I have an issue with this church.” No. Never. Soul winning Christians keep a balance on tings like no one else because they are constantly reminded of the fact that this earth is temporal. All of these issues are going to getr worked out when we see Jesus -- what really matters is helping people get to Heaven someday.

The Bible says in Philippians 4;1, “Therefore my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand faSt in the Lord, my dearly beloved.” Second Corinthians 1:14 says, “As also ye have acknowledged us in part, that we are rejoicing, even as ye *also are ours in the day of the Lord Jesus.”

Soul-winning -- it is the heart of God. Do you hear the call from without? From within? Do you believe there is a Heaven and a Hell and that people will spend eternity in one or the other? Do you have the burden that you should have? If you hear the call and if you have those beliefs and if you have a burden, then you are going to receive a blessing. You are going to be able to say that God used me to bring someone else to Jesus Christ.

God’s Plan of Salvation.

1. What does God want you to do?
“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become
the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” John 1:12
2. How can you believe?
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Romans 10:9-10
3. What can you do to show that you believe?
You can sincerely pray this prayer - or another prayer from your own heart -
and tell God that you believe and accept (trust) His Son as your Savior.
Lord, I know that I am a sinner. Please forgive me for my sins and help me
to turn from them in hatred for them. I know that I deserve Hell for my sins. But I believe that Jesus died to pay for my sins and to take the punishment for me. And I know that He purchased my salvation with His own precious blood,
and has given me the precious gift of eternal life with Him in Heaven. I
trust Him now as my Savior and Lord. Amen.

[] “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” Jesus’ words to the
sinners of His day (and given for all of us to hear and apply). God wants
you to admit to your sin, have contempt for it, turn from it, and commit
your life to Him in faith.