Halloween Street Preaching

[Prayer Warrior]

@Giuliano

You seem to know your way around the Bible pretty well. No doubt, you're familiar with the bowls or vials of wrath mentioned in Revelation that will be poured out on the earth.

Rev 16:1-14--
And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.

And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.

And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.

And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood. And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.
And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.

And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.

And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.

And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

 

[Jane_Doe22]

I agree wholeheartedly. For @Jane_Doe22 has set forth something and compared it to the Lord, that is not to be compared to the Lord. God punishes sinners because He is the judge of all the earth; not because His love has been spurned by those to whom He has proposed marriage. The issue here is that He offers forgiveness concerning the sins that will put us in hell and along with that forgiveness comes a relationship with Him. In rejecting Him we would be rejecting forgiveness and a relationship. But He does not put us in hell because we rejected a relationship with Him; but because we rejected forgiveness and therefore the punishment for our sins will stand on the day of judgment. It is merely an unfortunate coincidence that the Lord offers a relationship with Him along with forgiveness; and this gives occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme.

You misunderstan: God doesn’t use fear based evengelicism. He is love, the opposite of fear.

The wife beaters here are those humans that leave the Lord’s way to preach via fear, threats, and other perverted tatitcs. Such never makes a real disciple of Christ.

My heart goes out to all that have been victimized this way.

 

[justbyfaith]

Jesus preached on the subject of hell more than on any other subject.

The concept of hell has nothing to do with "God beating his wife" as you would blasphemously and inaccurately portray.

It has everything to do with God's justice/judgment.

Again,

Pro 28:5, Evil men understand not judgment: but they that seek the LORD understand all things.

 

[justbyfaith]

Also, we would be neglectful of our duty as preachers of the gospel if we were to omit the warnings against hell that are included in the word of the Lord, in our preaching.

 

[Jane_Doe22]

Jesus preached on the subject of hell more than on any other subject.

The concept of hell has nothing to do with "God beating his wife" as you would blasphemously and inaccurately portray.

It has everything to do with God's justice/judgment.

Again,

Pro 28:5, Evil men understand not judgment: but they that seek the LORD understand all things.

People whom try to evangelize via fear and threats are the wife beaters: demanding submission, rather than loving. Such is not of the Lord.

 

[Willie T]

BTW, those of you who keep pushing the erroneous idea that Jesus preached about Hell more than anything else, really ought to look that up, rather than just continuing to parrot someone else.

 

[Prayer Warrior]

People whom try to evangelize via fear and threats are the wife beaters: demanding submission, rather than loving. Such is not of the Lord.

This is fallacious reasoning, pure and simple. I have warned unrepentant sinners about hell. Am I a wife beater?? (I wasn't even a husband beater before my husband died.)

Edit: If someone were walking toward a cliff and was about to fall to his death, would I be considered abusive if I yelled at the person to stop? The is what Christians must do for those who are headed to hell! It would be hatred NOT to warn them.

 

[Jane_Doe22]

This is fallacious reasoning, pure and simple. I have warned unrepentant sinners about hell. Am I a wife beater?? (I wasn't even a husband beater before my husband died.)

Edit: If someone were walking toward a cliff and was about to fall to his death, would I be considered abusive if I yelled at the person to stop? The is what Christians must do for those who are headed to hell! It would be hatred NOT to warn them.

You are trying to provoke action via fear and threats. Those are abusive tactics, not of God.

God is LOVE. Preach LOVE. Be a shepard who leads through love. Not a sheep-herder that uses dogs and force.

 

[Prayer Warrior]

You are trying to provoke action via fear and threats. Those are abusive tactics, not of God.

God is LOVE. Preach LOVE. Be a shepard who leads through love. Not a sheep-herder that uses dogs and force.

You say that you are saved, so you have nothing to fear. Those who are saved from the wrath to come need not fear God's wrath. Those who are not saved and refuse God's provision for salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ should be afraid.

 

[Jane_Doe22]

You say that you are saved, so you have nothing to fear. Those who are saved from the wrath to come need not fear God's wrath. Those who are not saved and refuse God's provision for salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ should be afraid.

Salvation doesn't come via fear. Salvation comes via love.

 

[Helen]

I don't know what you mean by "rejecting Christ." Do you mean failing to recite a formula saying you accept Jesus? Or do you mean rejecting his message of Love?

I think we reject Jesus if we hear about the Golden Rule and then continue to treat other people poorly. We honor Jesus if we accept his message and practice it.

Thus we read that on judgment day, Jesus says to some people to enter the kingdom because when they were kindness to others was as if they had been kind to him. Some of those people are surprised, never expecting to rewarded for their kindness to others.

Then there are others who say they did all kinds of things for Jesus, and he tells them to leave him because he never knew them.

Your scenario of the last judgment doesn't hold water if you ask me. I can invent another where people tell Jesus, "Oh if only I had known you stood for goodness and love. I thought Christians were crazy and angry; and I didn't want to be like them." That Halloween preacher may have a lot to answer for on judgment day then if he drove non-Christians further away from Jesus.

Jesus is not like an insecure male looking for a girlfriend. Such an insecure male may say, "I love you" to a woman; but if she's not interested, then he says, "Okay then, I hate you." It's not love if someone demands love in return. God is Love; and Love has no price tag attached. God Loves, pure and simple.

Do not say then that God "punishes" people for rejecting Him. It is not so. God does not enjoy punishing anyone; but He will protect the innocent, and sometimes that means He takes severe action against the guilty. A shepherd does not hate wolves. He loves his sheep, so if a wolf attacks his sheep, he takes action. If that means wounding or killing the wolf, so be it -- but the motive is still love.

If you had four children living with you and one kept stealing from the other three, what would you do? Would you do nothing, saying you loved them all, or would you kick out the offender because you loved the three innocent children? Thus when we read about God "punishing" people, we need to remember that God is Love, and His motive is always loving . . . even if it feels as if He is angry at times.

God does not become angry with His children for rejecting Him. He continues to love them. In the story about the prodigal son, was the father angry with the son who wanted to leave home? You know he wasn't. He waited for him to return.

God wants us to love Him, not because He is like a needy insecure human father or man looking for a girlfriend. God wants us to love Him because that is what is best for us.

Excellent!

I wish there were more choices than just a "like"...some posts deserve a thumbs up, sometimes TWO!! And this is one of them...

 

[Helen]

Jesus preached on the subject of hell more than on any other subject.

False.
Some guy said this long ago and people who are hell preachers jumped on the band wagon. Not true ...

Jesus spoke more about the kingdom of God and money than He did about hell.

 

[Helen]

BTW, those of you who keep pushing the erroneous idea that Jesus preached about Hell more than anything else, really ought to look that up, rather than just continuing to parrot someone else.

Oh whoops I just said the same in my post above...sorry , I hadn't read your post before I answered.

But, as the saying goes...'we are on the same page'.

Not many do their own deep bible study but jump on any band wagon which fits their agenda.

 

[Helen]

You say that you are saved, so you have nothing to fear. Those who are saved from the wrath to come need not fear God's wrath. Those who are not saved and refuse God's provision for salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ should be afraid.

You'd do well to allow Romans 2:4 soak into your heart...someone has sold you a lemon...
"... despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? "

 

[Prayer Warrior]

You'd do well to allow Romans 2:4 soak into your heart...someone has sold you a lemon...
"... despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? "

I know that you and I disagree about this, but I will just say this. Sometimes we don't understand His goodness (or kindness) until we understand that we are sinners headed for a life apart from Him in hell if we refuse to repent. He is certainly long-suffering, or I suspect that we would all end up in hell.

You have to include the next few verses of Romans 2 to get the whole picture. "But because of your hardness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment is revealed. He will repay each one according to his works: eternal life to those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality; but wrath and indignation to those who are self-seeking and disobey the truth but are obeying unrighteousness; affliction and distress for every human being who does evil, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek; but glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does what is good, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. There is no favoritism with God."
.

 

[Jane_Doe22]

I know that you and I disagree about this, but I will just say this. Sometimes we don't understand His goodness (or kindness) until we understand that we are sinners headed for a life apart from Him in hell if we refuse to repent. He is certainly long-suffering, or I suspect that we would all end up in hell.

You have to include the next few verses of Romans 2 to get the whole picture. "But because of your hardness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment is revealed. He will repay each one according to his works: eternal life to those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality; but wrath and indignation to those who are self-seeking and disobey the truth but are obeying unrighteousness; affliction and distress for every human being who does evil, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek; but glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does what is good, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. There is no favoritism with God."
.

Do you understand the difference between
1) acknowledging that something is bad vs
2) having that fear of the bad / punishment being your primary motivator

 

[Prayer Warrior]

Do you understand the difference between
1) acknowledging that something is bad vs
2) having that fear of the bad / punishment being your primary motivator

I'm not sure how to answer your question because I don't see fear of hell as a bad thing for a lost person who refuses to repent. To go back to my analogy about the cliff, if fear of falling off the cliff motivates the person to stop walking toward the edge, then how can fear of death be bad?

Fear of eternal punishment is not MY primary motivator. It can be part of what God uses in a person's life to show them the dire consequences of refusing His provision for salvation. It's not God's will that any should perish, and yet, Jesus said that the road is wide that leads to destruction, and, sadly, many will choose this road.

 

[Helen]

I'm not sure how to answer your question because I don't see fear of hell as a bad thing for a lost person who refuses to repent. To go back to my analogy about the cliff, if fear of falling off the cliff motivates the person to stop walking toward the edge, then how can fear of death be bad?

Maybe the difference between us all is in the way or reason we came to the Lord!!

I DID NOT get preached hell and an angry God.

I had no preacher ...I was at the sink...What I asked God that day was ..
" How can I know for sure that I will forever be with You , I don't want to go through life without knowing if I will be in Heaven. " ( I was 22)

I had been to church with my mum from age 4 and loved the feeling of God. ( not sure if I knew what His Presence was...I just felt it in church as the hymns were sung)

My drawing was to be WITH Him...not some deep seated fear of burning in hell.

I agree with @Jane_Doe22 It was the longing for Him Himself that drew me...not some fear of a wrathful God.
And as I walk this walk, it is STILL the love for His Presence which draw me on...not some fear of falling back.

Obviously by your posts , you were only saved to escape hell.

 

[Jane_Doe22]

I'm not sure how to answer your question because I don't see fear of hell as a bad thing for a lost person who refuses to repent. To go back to my analogy about the cliff, if fear of falling off the cliff motivates the person to stop walking toward the edge, then how can fear of death be bad?

Fear of eternal punishment is not MY primary motivator. It can be part of what God uses in a person's life to show them the dire consequences of refusing His provision for salvation. It's not God's will that any should perish, and yet, Jesus said that the road is wide that leads to destruction, and, sadly, many will choose this road.

Here I'll use analogy from my morning: My elementary aged daughter did something bad (yelled and tantrumed at her dad). She could either
1) Realize that this was bad, be sad that she made dad sad, and come to dad with a loving "I'm sorry, I'll be better" and a loving hug.
2) Be afraid that dad is that dad is going to slap her for her misbehavior and say "I'm sorry" just to avoid that punishment.

The first is motivated love and repentance (which is what she did). The second is not-- it's just trying to avoid punishment, doesn't have that change of heart, and doesn't build that relationship. I would argue that any fear-based motivation is toxic for any relationship.

It is likewise with our Father, and the errors we make. He wants us to come to Him with that love and change of heart.

 

[Prayer Warrior]

Here I'll use analogy from my morning: My elementary aged daughter did something bad (yelled and tantrumed at her dad). She could either
1) Realize that this was bad, be sad that she made dad sad, and come to dad with a loving "I'm sorry, I'll be better" and a loving hug.
2) Be afraid that dad is that dad is going to slap her for her misbehavior and say "I'm sorry" just to avoid that punishment.

The first is motivated love and repentance (which is what she did). The second is not-- it's just trying to avoid punishment, doesn't have that change of heart, and doesn't build that relationship. I would argue that any fear-based motivation is toxic for any relationship.

It is likewise with our Father, and the errors we make. He wants us to come to Him with that love and change of heart.

I see what you're saying. I have two observations. First, I would say that our motives are often a mixture of not wanting to be punished AND feeling sorry over our sin, not either/or.

Second, and most importantly, your analogy involves a "daughter." Those who are saved are God's children, so hopefully, when we sin, we experience godly sorrow that results from the conviction of the Holy Spirit who indwells us. That is, unless we quench the Spirit. However, the lost are not God's children, so your analogy breaks down at this point.
.