This year by the mercies and grace of God I was able to travel back to the UK and meet with some men from America and some from England, Scotland, and Ireland to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We arrived in Manchester, then drove to our home for the 1st two weeks, The Birmingham Free Baptist Church. The pastor there was kind enough to allow us to sleep, shower, pray, and fellowship there. While staying at the church at night, we traveled and preached at Birmingham, Oxford, Cambridge, Nottingham, Lincoln, and Leicester. Many, many people stopped to listen or make a comment. Many Christians were encouraged, many non believers were stirred up, and sadly some who professed a faith in Christ were opposed to sharing the Gospel outside of church when it wasn’t even Sunday. We encountered countless who claimed to be Christian yet were not opposed to sin, claiming that Jesus died for all or for them, so that they could sin with no guilt, fear or shame. Sadly, many of the churches in the UK have compromised with the world and are no longer a light in the darkness. But the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation, and the Holy Spirit convinces of sin, and the blood of Jesus still cleanses from sin, delivering those who repent and believe upon Him. We said farewell to some of the brethren; some of whom returned to the US, and others returned to their ministries in the UK. My friends Mike Stockwell and Robert Gray and myself next traveled to London where we were treated with great hospitality by a family from Grace Life Church London. We met and ministered with 3 Americans. While in London we were privileged to preach at Leicester Square, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Barking, Elephant and Castle, and Wimbledon. The family we stayed with lived in East Ham. We reasoned with the local muslims daily in East Ham, as we walked from the subway to the home where we stayed, and one day because of our interaction with the muslims, we were invited by some Christians from India to share a message. Their meeting place was directly above the spot where the muslims distributed their literature and where we would speak the truth of the gospel to them. To confront muslims about the truth of the Bible and the inconsistencies in the Quran and Islam is a rare thing in England. Strangely, we never encountered a muslim who could read Arabic, so they all had English bibles and Qurans; and then they wanted to say the Bible was corrupted through translation. They also will take issue with the New Testament being written by the Apostles and not Jesus. ( they have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit ) When confronted with the truth that their prophet could not read or write, they change the subject rather than acknowledge that their Quran was written by men and not their prophet. They also have notes with which they attempt to discredit the Bible, and often they have their way with the local Christians who are not really sure what the Bible says or means. While sharing the Gospel in London, we had an opportunity to preach at Trafalgar Square during a gay-pride parade/festival. This was a very highly emotionally charged crowd. By God’s providence we were protected by police. We don’t preach that homosexual sin is different in nature than other sins. All sin is an issue from the human heart, although the Bible does state that sexual sins are more injurious than others which are more eternal to our bodies. But we do preach about the marriage relationship and how a husband and wife become one flesh spiritually. Like America, homosexuality has become a treasured idol, and to speak against it is to be labeled a hater. We were able to worship with the saints at Grace Life London Church twice. This is a wonderful gathering of believers who come together in love, teaching and preaching, learning, and serving one another. as some more of our friends from America returned home, Mike and Myself traveled south to Taunton and Bristol, where we were hosted by a Christian couple. We were shown much kindness by Mike Overd and his wife Rachel. Mike consistently preaches on the streets of his home in Taunton. He has been arrested twice and found not guilty each time, because the Bible is the truth with which he confronts the world, declaring that Jesus did not come to condemn the world, but that world might be saved by Him. Just an honest objective look should leave no doubts that the world is already presently under condemnation, and a look in the mirror preaches to each of us that we are aging and our life will soon end, and the Bible declares that after death is judgment. On what was to be our final day with Mike we left the small town of Tauntom and went with him to one of the larger cities in England, Bristol. Bristol was a famous spot for open air preaching and huge crowds would gather to hear George Whitefield, John Wesley, and Howell Harris preach. We prayed this day for a crowd and preached near to the Wesley Chapel where there is located a statue of Mr. Wesley on his horse, in memory of his itinerant preaching career. The Lord answered our prayers and a large crowd gathered. We each preached the Gospel and answered questions pertaining to sin, judgment, islam, sexual immorality, and salvation. Eventually some police arrived on horseback, and unlike all the police we had met with all over England, they arrested all 4 of us, then later bailed us out freely. Mike and I traveled to Ireland and preached there while waiting for a disposition on our arrest. We returned to Bristol to meet with police and were represented by a Christian Ministry which deals with Christian legal matters. The organization Christian Concerns freely took our case and met with authorities. After our meeting, I was informed thay I had not yet been charged with any crime, was free to return to the US, and would be contacted in 4 to 6 months if the Crown prosecutor decided a law had been broken. Clearly the law is administered differently in the UK. Mike and I then traveled North to visit our friend Dale, in Workington. While staying with Dale we preached in the town of Keswick during the week when the Christian conference there was ongoing. Keswick was once home to an annual conference where Godly men and women would gather and hear from preachers and teachers, who taught from the Bible and made known great Biblical truths. Sadly, the convention has become a reflection of the popular churches in the UK. Much praise and fellowship, but comfortable, feel-good messages and sound-bytes. We preached at a spot distant from their gathering, but not distant enough or some. There were some of the Christians who would stop and offer encouragement, but there were some strongly opposed to preaching outside.The residents of Keswick mostly don’t attend the convention and profit by selling their wares to the convention attendees before and after each days meeting. IWe thanked God the residents would hear the truth and we prayed to God that by hearing the Word they might come to faith in Jesus Christ. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. If the residents are not going to the convention, how will they call on the name of Jesus unless they believe, and how will they believe unless they hear, and how will they hear unless someone goes into town to preach. We give glory to God that He would use such a lowly means by which His truth is made known, not by the powerful, mighty, rich, or marvelous, but by forgiven men, saved by Him to declare His message. We know by His Word that He is pleased by the foolishness of the message preached. The message is foolish to those who are perishing, but to those who are being saved the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation. I then flew home to visit my family and my family in Christ, and to pray, and give thanks, and to seek the Lord and what He would have me to do or where to go, to be used by God, to be humbled by the Gospel, and to love Him and the souls He has create.
Category Archives: Miscellaneous Posts
Israel 2016 sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ
By the mercies of God and by His great favor this year I was able to visit and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem and ministered there for 2 weeks with my friends and co-laborers Dan Courney and Zephaniah Mel. While evangelizing there we were greatly assisted and prayed for by Pastor Al Nucciarone and the members of Jerusalem Baptist Church. While in Israel we preached, distributed Christian literature and New Testaments in Hebrew and Arabic, and we had countless conversations: some conversations were encouraging, and some ended in disagreement, but we pray that each person we spoke with heard the truth of the Gospel. We also pray that God would continue working although we have returned home. We preach in faith, trusting that God will accomplish His purpose, and we preach knowing that God is pleased with the message preached, Jesus Christ and him crucified: Or Yeshua Ha Maschiah for those who speak Hebrew. While there we traveled and preached in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Jericho. and Tiberias. Many Christians (not all), were encouraged. Many religious Jewish men and women heard the truth about The Lord’s s anointed One, and the Arabs heard that Jesus was more than a prophet. We were not always treated kindly, because when the name of Jesus is proclaimed, a seeming irrational hatred stirs up amongst many. But God is faithful and gracious, and we left Israel not having suffered yet unto blood, While there we met a young American from Pensacola who had recently become an Israeli citizen. He was very excited to hear the Gospel being preached on Ben Yehuda street. He came out and joined us, even preaching some in Hebrew and reasoning with the Jews in their own language. We had made some some signs in Hebrew script with Bible passages from Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Proverbs, and we left the signs with this young man. I also left him the small amplifier I use while preaching. Since my return he has contacted me to say he went out and preached: and although 1 sign was stolen, the word of God was declared. I praise the Lord for this young man’s zeal, and I pray for his protection. There are many in Israel who are lost and in need of the truth of the Gospel. Please keep Israel, Jerusalem, and all who live there in your prayers, that God would do that which only he can do, rescue men and women from the slavery of sin and judgment.
Belize 2016 Belize the Gospel
This year we were invited to Belize by our friend in co-laborer for the Gospel, Nate Steur. Nate and his wife and family moved there 8 months ago, believing that God had arranged things in their life in such a way that they could be used in a new place in serving the Lord. After Nate and his wife had visited Belize they both felt this was where God was willing that they serve Him, in a foreign land, with a great need for sharing the Gospel in the markets where the people are and to help in a local church in whatever their needs are. Belize, contrary to what many believe, is not an island nor one of the small countries near Russia. It is a small Central American country South of Mexico and next to Guatemala. It has a very diverse ethnic population. Mayans, Garifuna, Ketchi, Hispanic, Mennonites, and an increasing number of retired or disgruntled Americans. Many can speak enough English to buy and sell, but they read in their own language. Nate has been tremendously blessed by various ministries like Wycliff and Chapel Library, in printing and shipping religious literature in their native tongue. With their help, and with the help of others who want to see the Gospel advanced, who help pay the shipping costs, Nate can provide Bibles or gospel of John in their own language. Mike Stockwell and Robert Gray of “ Cross Country Evangelism” and myself flew into Belize City, and Nate drove us to his home in Punta Gorda, 5 hours away. We were privileged during our 12 days there to preach the Gospel in Punta Gorda, Independence, Dangriga, Belmopan, St. Ignacio, and Belize City. Many people listened, and a large amount of Christian literature was distributed. There were countless conversations. The people there are very open. I was asked to pray with and for numerous men, for healing, for strength, for family men. Of course the first thing is always to talk much of Jesus and pray that God in His mercy would grant them repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ. The people of Belize are religious, believing in God, fearing God and many have a respect for God’s Word being preached. Never once did we hear someone from Belize grumble or complain about sharing the Gospel although we did hear from some Americans who would have had us silenced if they could. There are some good Christian churches and we attended one near Punta Gorda and one near Dangriga. Many, Many do not attend a good church and hence live their life in sin, not even aware that Jesus came into the world to save sinners. There is much religion on display; word of faith tent meetings, Roman Catholicism, Mennonites, and mostly a mix of man-centered organizations professing to be Christian. Accordingly there is much sexual immorality, idolatry, and drunkenness. So we preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified. We preach the Gospel in faith knowing it is – the power of God unto salvation to those who are saved. And unlike many Americans, the people of Belize don’t necessarily think it is foolishness, they just have a lack of knowledge in the sinfulness of sin and the holiness of God, and the judgment to come. How will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? To be sure, the people there are sinners deserving of the wrath of God. And God would speak through a man named Paul saying, “Such were some of you”. We were blessed and privileged to preach the Gospel there. We have now returned to the U.S. Nate and his family remain, being spent there for Christ’s sake. Please join me in prayer that God will use our labors in Belize for His glory and draw many there to His Son. May the knowledge of the truth bring many to a godly sorrow for their sin leading to repentance. And may the Holy Spirit continue working there, protecting the seeds that were planted, softening hearts, and bringing about true conversions. If you would like to hear more of Nate Steur’s missionary work, or if you would like in shipping Christian material there, his face book is :
Belizethegospel
His website is
www.belizethegospel.wordpress.com
Christian talks to one Ignorant
Christian’s conversation with one Ignorance
Come, how do you? How stands it between God and your soul now?
IGNORANCE. I hope well; for I am always full of good motions that come into my mind, to comfort me as I walk. I think of God and Heaven.
CHRISTIAN. So do the devils and damned souls.
IGNORANCE. But I think of them, and desire them.
CHRISTIAN. So do many that are never like to come there. “The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing”.
IGNORANCE. But I think of them, and leave all for them.
CHRISTIAN. That I doubt; for leaving all is a hard matter; yea, a harder matter than many are aware of. But why, or by what, art thou persuaded that thou hast left all for God and Heaven?
IGNORANCE. My heart tells me so.
CHRISTIAN. The wise man says, “He that trusts his own heart is a fool”.
IGNORANCE. This is spoken of an evil heart, but mine is a good one. It comforts me in hopes of Heaven.
CHRISTIAN. That may be through its deceitfulness; for a man’s heart may minister comfort to him in the hopes of that thing, for which he yet has no ground to hope.
IGNORANCE. But my heart and life agree together, and therefore my hope is well grounded.
CHRISTIAN. Who told thee that thy heart and life agree together?
IGNORANCE. My heart tells me so.
CHRISTIAN. Ask my fellow if I be a thief! Thy heart tells thee so! Except the Word of God beareth witness in this matter, other testimony is of no value.
IGNORANCE But is it not a good heart that hath good thoughts? And is not that a good life that is according to God’s commandments?
CHRISTIAN. Yea, that is a good heart that hath good thoughts, and that is a good life that is according to God’s commandments; but it is one thing, indeed, to have these, and another thing only to think so.
IGNORANCE. Pray, what count you good thoughts, and a life according to God’s commandments?
CHRISTIAN. There are good thoughts of divers kinds; some respecting ourselves, some God, some Christ, and some other thing.
IGNORANCE. What be good thoughts respecting ourselves?
CHRISTIAN. Such as agree with the Word of God.
IGNORANCE. When do our thoughts of ourselves agree with the Word of God?
CHRISTIAN. When we pass the same judgment upon ourselves which the Word passes. To explain myself—the Word of God saith of persons in a natural condition, “There is none righteous, there is none that doeth good”. It saith also, that “every imagination of the heart of man is only evil, and that continually”. And again, “The imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth”. Now then, when we think thus of ourselves, having sense thereof; then are our thoughts good ones, because according to the Word of God.
IGNORANCE. I will never believe that my heart is thus bad.
CHRISTIAN. Therefore thou never hadst one good thought concerning thyself in thy life. But let me go on. As the Word passeth a judgment upon our heart, so it passeth a judgment upon our ways; and when our thoughts of our hearts and ways agree with the judgment which the Word giveth of both, then are both good, because agreeing thereto. Why, the Word of God saith that man’s ways are crooked ways; not good, but perverse. It saith they are naturally out of the good way, that they have not known it. Now, when a man thus thinketh of his ways; I say, when he doth sensibly, and with heart humiliation, thus think, then hath he good thoughts of his own ways, because his thoughts now agree with the judgment of the Word of God.
IGNORANCE. What are good thoughts concerning God?
CHRISTIAN. Even as I have said concerning ourselves, when our thoughts of God do agree with what the Word saith of Him; and that is, when we think of His being and attributes as the Word hath taught, of which I cannot now discourse at large; but to speak of Him with reference to us: Then we have right thoughts of God, when we think that He knows us better than we know ourselves, and He can see sin in us when and where we can see none in ourselves; when we think He knows our inmost thoughts, and that our heart, with all its depths, is always open unto His eyes; also, when we think that all our righteousness stinks in His nostrils, and that, therefore, He cannot abide to see us stand before Him in any confidence, even in all our best performances.
IGNORANCE. Do you think that I am such a fool as to think God can see no further than I? Or, that I would come to God in the best of my performances? Why, to be short, I think I must believe in Christ for justification.
CHRISTIAN. How! think thou must believe in Christ, when thou seest not thy need of Him! Thou neither seest thy original nor actual infirmities; but hast such an opinion of thyself, and of what thou dost, as plainly renders thee to be one that did never see a necessity of Christ’s personal righteousness to justify thee before God. How, then, dost thou say, I believe in Christ?
IGNORANCE. I believe that Christ died for sinners; and that I shall be justified before God from the curse, through His gracious acceptance of my obedience to His law. Or thus, Christ makes my duties, that are religious, acceptable to His Father, by virtue of His merits; and so shall I be justified.
CHRISTIAN. Let me give an answer to this confession of thy faith. 1. Thou believest with a fantastical faith; for this faith is nowhere described in the Word. 2. Thou believest with a false faith; because it taketh justification from the personal righteousness of Christ, and applies it to thy own. 3. This faith maketh not Christ a justifier of thy person, but of thy actions; and of thy person for thy actions’ sake, which is false. 4. Therefore, this faith is deceitful, even such as will leave thee under wrath, in the day of God Almighty; for true justifying faith puts the soul, as sensible of its lost condition by the law, upon flying for refuge unto Christ’s righteousness, which righteousness of His is not an act of grace, by which He maketh, for justification, thy obedience accepted with God; but His personal obedience to the law, in doing and suffering for us what that required at our hands; this righteousness, I say, true faith accepteth; under the skirt of which, the soul being shrouded, and by it presented as spotless before God, it is accepted, and acquit from condemnation.
IGNORANCE. What! would you have us trust to what Christ, in His own person, has done without us? This conceit would loosen the reins of our lust, and tolerate us to live as we list; for what matter how we live, if we may be justified by Christ’s personal righteousness from all, when we believe it?
CHRISTIAN. Ignorance is thy name, and as thy name is, so art thou; even this thy answer demonstrateth what I say. Ignorant thou art of what justifying righteousness is, and as ignorant how to secure thy soul, through the faith of it, from the heavy wrath of God. Yea, thou also art ignorant of the true effects of saving faith in this righteousness of Christ, which is, to bow and win over the heart to God in Christ, to love His name, His Word, ways, and people, and not as thou ignorantly imaginest.
HOPEFUL, Christian’s companion speaks , Ask him if ever he had Christ revealed to him from Heaven.
IGNORANCE. What! You are a man for revelations! I believe that what both you, and all the rest of you, say about that matter, is but the fruit of distracted brains.
HOPEFUL. Why, man! Christ is so hid in God from the natural apprehensions of the flesh that He cannot by any man be savingly known, unless God the Father reveals Him to them.
IGNORANCE. That is your faith, but not mine; yet mine, I doubt not, is as good as yours, though I have not in my head so many whimsies as you.
CHRISTIAN. Give me leave to put in a word. You ought not so slightly to speak of this matter; for this I will boldly affirm, even as my good companion hath done, that no man can know Jesus Christ but by the revelation of the Father; yea, and faith too, by which the soul layeth hold upon Christ, if it be right, must be wrought by the exceeding greatness of His mighty power; the working of which faith, I perceive, poor Ignorance, thou art ignorant of. Be awakened then, see thine own wretchedness, and fly to the Lord Jesus; and by His righteousness, which is the righteousness of God, for He Himself is God, thou shalt be delivered from condemnation. Then they said—
Well, Ignorance, wilt thou yet foolish be To slight good counsel, ten times given thee? And if thou yet refuse it, thou shalt know, Ere long, the evil of thy doing so. Remember, man, in time, stoop, do not fear; Good counsel taken well, saves: therefore hear. But if thou yet shalt slight it, thou wilt be The loser (Ignorance) I’ll warrant thee.
Epilogue
Now while I was gazing upon all these things, I turned my head to look back, and saw Ignorance come up to the river side; but he soon got over, and that without half that difficulty which the other two men met with. For it happened that there was then in that place, one Vain-hope, a ferryman, that with his boat helped him over; so he, as the other I saw, did ascend the hill, to come up to the gate, only he came alone; neither did any man meet him with the least encouragement. When he was come up to the gate, he looked up to the writing that was above, and then began to knock, supposing that entrance should have been quickly administered to him; but he was asked by the men that looked over the top of the gate, Whence came you? and what would you have? He answered, I have eat and drank in the presence of the King, and He has taught in our streets. Then they asked him for his certificate, that they might go in and show it to the King; so he fumbled in his bosom for one, and found none. Then said they, Have you none? But the man answered never a word. So they told the King, but He would not come down to see him, but commanded the two Shining Ones that conducted Christian and Hopeful to the City, to go out and take Ignorance, and bind him hand and foot, and have him away. Then they took him up, and carried him through the air, to the door that I saw in the side of the hill, and put him in there. Then I saw that there was a way to hell, even from the gates of Heaven, as well as from the City of Destruction!
So I awoke, and behold it was a dream
Christian’s conversation with one Ignorance
Come, how do you? How stands it between God and your soul now?
IGNORANCE. I hope well; for I am always full of good motions that come into my mind, to comfort me as I walk. I think of God and Heaven.
CHRISTIAN. So do the devils and damned souls.
IGNORANCE. But I think of them, and desire them.
CHRISTIAN. So do many that are never like to come there. “The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing”.
IGNORANCE. But I think of them, and leave all for them.
CHRISTIAN. That I doubt; for leaving all is a hard matter; yea, a harder matter than many are aware of. But why, or by what, art thou persuaded that thou hast left all for God and Heaven?
IGNORANCE. My heart tells me so.
CHRISTIAN. The wise man says, “He that trusts his own heart is a fool”.
IGNORANCE. This is spoken of an evil heart, but mine is a good one. It comforts me in hopes of Heaven.
CHRISTIAN. That may be through its deceitfulness; for a man’s heart may minister comfort to him in the hopes of that thing, for which he yet has no ground to hope.
IGNORANCE. But my heart and life agree together, and therefore my hope is well grounded.
CHRISTIAN. Who told thee that thy heart and life agree together?
IGNORANCE. My heart tells me so.
CHRISTIAN. Ask my fellow if I be a thief! Thy heart tells thee so! Except the Word of God beareth witness in this matter, other testimony is of no value.
IGNORANCE But is it not a good heart that hath good thoughts? And is not that a good life that is according to God’s commandments?
CHRISTIAN. Yea, that is a good heart that hath good thoughts, and that is a good life that is according to God’s commandments; but it is one thing, indeed, to have these, and another thing only to think so.
IGNORANCE. Pray, what count you good thoughts, and a life according to God’s commandments?
CHRISTIAN. There are good thoughts of divers kinds; some respecting ourselves, some God, some Christ, and some other thing.
IGNORANCE. What be good thoughts respecting ourselves?
CHRISTIAN. Such as agree with the Word of God.
IGNORANCE. When do our thoughts of ourselves agree with the Word of God?
CHRISTIAN. When we pass the same judgment upon ourselves which the Word passes. To explain myself—the Word of God saith of persons in a natural condition, “There is none righteous, there is none that doeth good”. It saith also, that “every imagination of the heart of man is only evil, and that continually”. And again, “The imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth”. Now then, when we think thus of ourselves, having sense thereof; then are our thoughts good ones, because according to the Word of God.
IGNORANCE. I will never believe that my heart is thus bad.
CHRISTIAN. Therefore thou never hadst one good thought concerning thyself in thy life. But let me go on. As the Word passeth a judgment upon our heart, so it passeth a judgment upon our ways; and when our thoughts of our hearts and ways agree with the judgment which the Word giveth of both, then are both good, because agreeing thereto. Why, the Word of God saith that man’s ways are crooked ways; not good, but perverse. It saith they are naturally out of the good way, that they have not known it. Now, when a man thus thinketh of his ways; I say, when he doth sensibly, and with heart humiliation, thus think, then hath he good thoughts of his own ways, because his thoughts now agree with the judgment of the Word of God.
IGNORANCE. What are good thoughts concerning God?
CHRISTIAN. Even as I have said concerning ourselves, when our thoughts of God do agree with what the Word saith of Him; and that is, when we think of His being and attributes as the Word hath taught, of which I cannot now discourse at large; but to speak of Him with reference to us: Then we have right thoughts of God, when we think that He knows us better than we know ourselves, and He can see sin in us when and where we can see none in ourselves; when we think He knows our inmost thoughts, and that our heart, with all its depths, is always open unto His eyes; also, when we think that all our righteousness stinks in His nostrils, and that, therefore, He cannot abide to see us stand before Him in any confidence, even in all our best performances.
IGNORANCE. Do you think that I am such a fool as to think God can see no further than I? Or, that I would come to God in the best of my performances? Why, to be short, I think I must believe in Christ for justification.
CHRISTIAN. How! think thou must believe in Christ, when thou seest not thy need of Him! Thou neither seest thy original nor actual infirmities; but hast such an opinion of thyself, and of what thou dost, as plainly renders thee to be one that did never see a necessity of Christ’s personal righteousness to justify thee before God. How, then, dost thou say, I believe in Christ?
IGNORANCE. I believe that Christ died for sinners; and that I shall be justified before God from the curse, through His gracious acceptance of my obedience to His law. Or thus, Christ makes my duties, that are religious, acceptable to His Father, by virtue of His merits; and so shall I be justified.
CHRISTIAN. Let me give an answer to this confession of thy faith. 1. Thou believest with a fantastical faith; for this faith is nowhere described in the Word. 2. Thou believest with a false faith; because it taketh justification from the personal righteousness of Christ, and applies it to thy own. 3. This faith maketh not Christ a justifier of thy person, but of thy actions; and of thy person for thy actions’ sake, which is false. 4. Therefore, this faith is deceitful, even such as will leave thee under wrath, in the day of God Almighty; for true justifying faith puts the soul, as sensible of its lost condition by the law, upon flying for refuge unto Christ’s righteousness, which righteousness of His is not an act of grace, by which He maketh, for justification, thy obedience accepted with God; but His personal obedience to the law, in doing and suffering for us what that required at our hands; this righteousness, I say, true faith accepteth; under the skirt of which, the soul being shrouded, and by it presented as spotless before God, it is accepted, and acquit from condemnation.
IGNORANCE. What! would you have us trust to what Christ, in His own person, has done without us? This conceit would loosen the reins of our lust, and tolerate us to live as we list; for what matter how we live, if we may be justified by Christ’s personal righteousness from all, when we believe it?
CHRISTIAN. Ignorance is thy name, and as thy name is, so art thou; even this thy answer demonstrateth what I say. Ignorant thou art of what justifying righteousness is, and as ignorant how to secure thy soul, through the faith of it, from the heavy wrath of God. Yea, thou also art ignorant of the true effects of saving faith in this righteousness of Christ, which is, to bow and win over the heart to God in Christ, to love His name, His Word, ways, and people, and not as thou ignorantly imaginest.
HOPEFUL, Christian’s companion speaks , Ask him if ever he had Christ revealed to him from Heaven.
IGNORANCE. What! You are a man for revelations! I believe that what both you, and all the rest of you, say about that matter, is but the fruit of distracted brains.
HOPEFUL. Why, man! Christ is so hid in God from the natural apprehensions of the flesh that He cannot by any man be savingly known, unless God the Father reveals Him to them.
IGNORANCE. That is your faith, but not mine; yet mine, I doubt not, is as good as yours, though I have not in my head so many whimsies as you.
CHRISTIAN. Give me leave to put in a word. You ought not so slightly to speak of this matter; for this I will boldly affirm, even as my good companion hath done, that no man can know Jesus Christ but by the revelation of the Father; yea, and faith too, by which the soul layeth hold upon Christ, if it be right, must be wrought by the exceeding greatness of His mighty power; the working of which faith, I perceive, poor Ignorance, thou art ignorant of. Be awakened then, see thine own wretchedness, and fly to the Lord Jesus; and by His righteousness, which is the righteousness of God, for He Himself is God, thou shalt be delivered from condemnation. Then they said—
Well, Ignorance, wilt thou yet foolish be To slight good counsel, ten times given thee? And if thou yet refuse it, thou shalt know, Ere long, the evil of thy doing so. Remember, man, in time, stoop, do not fear; Good counsel taken well, saves: therefore hear. But if thou yet shalt slight it, thou wilt be The loser (Ignorance) I’ll warrant thee.
Epilogue
Now while I was gazing upon all these things, I turned my head to look back, and saw Ignorance come up to the river side; but he soon got over, and that without half that difficulty which the other two men met with. For it happened that there was then in that place, one Vain-hope, a ferryman, that with his boat helped him over; so he, as the other I saw, did ascend the hill, to come up to the gate, only he came alone; neither did any man meet him with the least encouragement. When he was come up to the gate, he looked up to the writing that was above, and then began to knock, supposing that entrance should have been quickly administered to him; but he was asked by the men that looked over the top of the gate, Whence came you? and what would you have? He answered, I have eat and drank in the presence of the King, and He has taught in our streets. Then they asked him for his certificate, that they might go in and show it to the King; so he fumbled in his bosom for one, and found none. Then said they, Have you none? But the man answered never a word. So they told the King, but He would not come down to see him, but commanded the two Shining Ones that conducted Christian and Hopeful to the City, to go out and take Ignorance, and bind him hand and foot, and have him away. Then they took him up, and carried him through the air, to the door that I saw in the side of the hill, and put him in there. Then I saw that there was a way to hell, even from the gates of Heaven, as well as from the City of Destruction!
So I awoke, and behold it was a dream
Christian hears Hopeful’s testimony
Conversation between Hopeful and Christian
Hopeful. How came I at first to look after the good of my soul?
HOPEFUL. I continued a great while in the delight of those things which were seen and sold at our fair; things which, I believe now, would have, had I continued in them still, drowned me in perdition and destruction. All the treasures and riches of the world. Also I delighted much in rioting, revelling, drinking, swearing, lying, uncleanness, Sabbath-breaking, and what not, that tended to destroy the soul. But I found at last, by hearing and considering of things that are Divine, which indeed I heard of you, as also of beloved Faithful, that was put to death for his faith and good living in Vanity Fair, that “the end of these things is death”194 And that for these things’ sake, “cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience” I was not willing presently to know the evil of sin, nor the damnation that follows upon the commission of it; but endeavoured, when my mind at first began to be shaken with the Word, to shut mine eyes against the light thereof. The causes were, 1. I was ignorant that this was the work of God upon me. I never thought that by awakenings for sin, God at first begins the conversion of a sinner. 2. Sin was yet very sweet to my flesh, and I was loath to leave it. 3. I could not tell how to part with mine old companions, their presence and actions were so desirable unto me. 4. The hours in which convictions were upon me, were such troublesome and such heart-affrighting hours, that I could not bear, no not so much as the remembrance of them upon my heart. CHRISTIAN. Sometimes I got rid of my trouble, but it would come into my mind again, and then I should be as bad, nay, worse than I was before. Many things would bring my sins to mind again; as, 1. If I did but meet a good man in the streets; or, 2. If I have heard any read in the Bible; or, 3. If mine head did begin to ache; or, 4. If I were told that some of my neighbours were sick; or, 5. If I heard the bell toll for some that were dead; or, 6. If I thought of dying myself; or, 7. If I heard that sudden death happened to others; 8. But especially, when I thought of myself, that I must quickly come to judgment.
CHRISTIAN. And could you at any time, with ease, get off the guilt of sin, when, by any of these ways, it came upon you?
HOPEFUL. No, not I, for then they got faster hold of my conscience; and then, if I did but think of going back to sin (though my mind was turned against it), it would be double torment to me. I thought I must endeavour to mend my life; for else, thought I, I am sure to be damned .I did so endeavour and fled from not only my sins, but sinful company too; and betook me to religious duties, as prayer, reading, weeping for sin, speaking truth to my neighbours, etc. These things did I, with many others, too much here to relate. I would then think myself well for a while; but, at the last, my trouble came tumbling upon me again, and that over the neck of all my reformations. There were several things brought these thoughts upon me, especially such sayings as these: “All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags”. “By the works of the law shall no flesh be justified”. “When ye shall have done all those things, say, We are unprofitable” with many more such like. From whence I began to reason with myself thus: If ALL my righteousnesses are filthy rags; if, by the deeds of the law, NO man can be justified; and if, when we have done ALL, we are yet unprofitable, then it is but a folly to think of Heaven by the law. I further thought thus: If a man runs a hundred pounds into the shopkeeper’s debt, and after that shall pay for all that he shall fetch; yet, if this old debt stands still in the book uncrossed, for that the shopkeeper may sue him, and cast him into prison till he shall pay the debt. I thought thus with myself: I have, by my sins, run a great way into God’s book, and that my now reforming will not pay off that score; therefore I should think still, under all my present amendments, But how shall I be freed from that damnation that I have brought myself in danger of, by my former transgressions? Another thing that hath troubled me, even since my late amendments, is, that if I look narrowly into the best of what I do now, I still see sin, new sin, mixing itself with the best of that I do; so that now I am forced to conclude, that notwithstanding my former fond conceits of myself and duties, I have committed sin enough in one duty to send me to hell, though my former life had been faultless. I could not tell what to do, until I spoke my mind to my friend, Faithful, for he and I were well acquainted. And he told me, that unless I could obtain the righteousness of a man that never had sinned, neither mine own, nor all the righteousness of the world, could save me. Had he told me so when I was pleased and satisfied with mine own amendment, I had called him fool for his pains; but now, since I see mine own infirmity, and the sin that cleaves to my best performance, I have been forced to be of his opinion.
CHRISTIAN. But did you think, when at first he suggested it to you, that there was such a man to be found, of whom it might justly be said, that He never committed sin?
HOPEFUL. I must confess the words at first sounded strangely, but after a little more talk and company with him, I had full conviction about it.
CHRISTIAN. And did you ask him what man this was, and how you must be justified by Him?
HOPEFUL. Yes, and he told me it was the Lord Jesus, that dwelleth on the right hand of the Most High. And thus, said he, you must be justified by Him, even by trusting to what He hath done by Himself in the days of His flesh, and suffered when He did hang on the tree. I asked him further, how that man’s righteousness could be of that efficacy to justify another before God? And he told me He was the mighty God, and did what He did, and died the death also, not for Himself, but for me; to whom His doings, and the worthiness of them, should be imputed, if I believed on Him. . I made my objections against my believing, for that I thought He was not willing to save me.
CHRISTIAN. And what said your friend Faithful to you then?
HOPEFUL. He bid me go to Him and see. Then I said it was presumption; but he said, No, for I was invited to come. Then he gave me a book of Jesus, His inditing, to encourage me the more freely to come; and he said, concerning that book, that every jot and tittle thereof stood firmer than Heaven and earth. Then I asked him, What I must do when I came; and he told me, I must entreat upon my knees, with all my heart and soul, the Father to reveal Him to me. Then I asked him further, how I must make my supplication to Him? And he said, Go, and thou shalt find Him upon a mercy-seat, where He sits all the year long, to give pardon and forgiveness to them that come. I told him that I knew not what to say when I came. And he bid me say to this effect, God be merciful to me a sinner, and make me to know and believe in Jesus Christ; for I see, that if His righteousness had not been, or I have not faith in that righteousness, I am utterly cast away. Lord, I have heard that Thou art a merciful God, and hast ordained that Thy Son Jesus Christ should be the Saviour of the world; and moreover, that thou art willing to bestow Him upon such a poor sinner as I am (and I am a sinner indeed), Lord, take therefore this opportunity, and magnify Thy grace in the salvation of my soul, through Thy Son Jesus Christ. Amen.
CHRISTIAN. And did you do as you were bidden?
HOPEFUL. Yes; over, and over, and over.
CHRISTIAN. And did the Father reveal His Son to you?
HOPEFUL. Not at the first, nor second, nor third, nor fourth, nor fifth; no, nor at the sixth time neither. Why I could not tell what to do. A hundred times twice told I had thoughts of leaving off praying but I believed that that was true which had been told me, to wit, that without the righteousness of this Christ, all the world could not save me; and therefore, thought I with myself, if I leave off I die, and I can but die at the throne of grace. And withal, this came into my mind, “Though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry”. So I continued praying until the Father showed me His Son. I did not see Him with my bodily eyes, but with the eyes of my understanding; and thus it was: One day I was very sad, I think sadder than at any one time in my life, and this sadness was through a fresh sight of the greatness and vileness of my sins. And as I was then looking for nothing but hell, and the everlasting damnation of my soul, suddenly, as I thought, I saw the Lord Jesus look down from Heaven upon me, and saying, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved”. But I replied, Lord, I am a great, a very great sinner. And He answered, “My grace is sufficient for thee”. Then I said, But, Lord, what is believing? And then I saw from that saying, “He that cometh to Me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst”; that believing and coming was all one; and that he that came, that is, ran out in his heart and affections after salvation by Christ, he indeed believed in Christ. Then the water stood in mine eyes, and I asked further, But, Lord, may such a great sinner as I am, be indeed accepted of Thee, and be saved by Thee? And I heard him say, “And him that cometh to Me, I will in no wise cast out”. Then I said, But how, Lord, must I consider of Thee in my coming to Thee, that my faith may be placed aright upon Thee? Then He said, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”. “He is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth”. “He died for our sins, and rose again for our justification”. “He loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood”. “He is mediator betwixt God and us”. “He ever liveth to make intercession for us”. From all which I gathered, that I must look for righteousness in His person, and for satisfaction for my sins by His blood; that what He did in obedience to His Father’s law, and in submitting to the penalty thereof, was not for Himself, but for him that will accept it for his salvation, and be thankful. And now was my heart full of joy, mine eyes full of tears, and mine affections running over with love to the name, people, and ways of Jesus Christ.
CHRISTIAN. This was a revelation of Christ to your soul indeed; but tell me particularly what effect this had upon your spirit.
HOPEFUL. It made me see that all the world, notwithstanding all the righteousness thereof, is in a state of condemnation. It made me see that God the Father, though He be just, can justly justify the coming sinner. It made me greatly ashamed of the vileness of my former life, and confounded me with the sense of mine own ignorance; for there never came thought into my heart before now, that showed me so the beauty of Jesus Christ. It made me love a holy life, and long to do something for the honour and glory of the name of the Lord Jesus; yea, I thought that had I now a thousand gallons of blood in my body, I could spill it all for the sake of the Lord Jesus.
Pastor Ichabod Spencer speaks to terminally ill woman near death
A MAN, who was entirely a stranger to me, and whose appearance convinced me he was poor, and whose address showed, that he was not very familiar with the subject of religion, called upon me one morning; and with some agitation desired me to go to a distant street, to see his wife, who was sick. On making some inquiries; I learned, that his wife had the consumption, was not expected to live many days, had not expressed any desire to see me; but that he had come for me, at the request of an aged Welsh woman, who lived in the same house. I immediately went to the place he described. I found the woman apparently in the last stages of the consumption. She was an interesting young woman, of about twenty years of age, and had been married a little more than a year. All the appearance of her room was indicative of poverty, though everything manifested the most perfect neatness. She was bolstered up, upon her bed, her face pale, with a bright red spot in the centre of each cheek. She appeared exceedingly weak; while her frequent cough seemed to be tearing her to pieces. Her condition affected me. Manifestly, her youth and beauty were destined to an early grave. She must soon leave the world; and how tender and terrible the thought, that she might still be unprepared for a happier one!
As I told her who I was, and why I had come there; she offered me her hand, with a ready and easy politeness; and yet, with a manifest embarrassment of feeling, which she evidently struggled to conceal.
I have seldom seen a more perfectly beautiful woman. Her frame was delicate, her complexion clear and white, her countenance indicative of a more than ordinary degree of intelligence and amiability; and as she lifted her languid eyes upon me, I could not but feel in an instant, that I was in the presence of an uncommon woman.
I felt her feverish pulse, which was rapidly beating, and expressing my sorrow at finding her so ill, she said to me, (speaking with some difficulty:)”—
You find me—in very humble circumstances—sir.”
“Yes,” said I, “you seem very sick.”
“We have not—always been—so straitened as we are now,” said she.—“We lived—very comfortably—before—I was sick. But, I am not able to do anything, now. And I am ashamed—to have you find me—with my room, and all things—in such a state;” (casting a look about the room.) “Once—I could have seen you in a more inviting place.—But, sir—we are now very poor—and cannot live—as we used to.—My situation—is—very humble indeed.”
“You have no occasion to be ashamed,” said I. “Your room is very neat; and if you are in want of anything, it will give me pleasure to aid you to whatever you need.”
“Oh, sir, I am not—in want—of anything now. I am too sick to need anything—more than the old lady—can do for me; and she is very kind.”
“And who is the old lady?” I asked.
“Mrs. Williams,” said she; “in whose house—we have lived since ours—was sold;—the woman that—wanted me to have you—come and see me. She has been—talking—to me about religion;—(she is a Welsh-woman;—) and she .has read—to me—in the Bible, but—I cannot—understand it.”
“And did you wish to .have me come and see you?”
“No—yes—I am willing—to see you; but—I am—in such—a place here—my room—”
“My dear friend,” said I, “do not think of such things at all. You have something of more moment to think of. You are very sick. Do you expect ever to get well?”
“No, sir; they—tell me—I shall not.”
“And do you feel prepared to die?”
“I do not know—what that—preparation means. And, it is too late, now, for me to do anything—about it.—I am too far-gone.”
“No, Madam, you are not. God is infinitely merciful; and you may be saved. Have you been praying to him to save you?”
“I never-prayed. Indeed, sir,—I never thought—of religion, till I was—sick, and the old lady talked—to me. But I cannot—understand her. I have never—read the Bible.—I never was inside—of a church—in my life. Nobody—ever asked me—to go, or told me—I ought to. I did not think—of religion. I just lived to enjoy—myself—as well—as I could. My aunt who took me—when my mother—died, never went—to church, and never said anything—to me about religion.—So I lived—as she—allowed me to, from the time I was three years old.—I had property—enough for everything—I wanted then; and after I left—school—about four years ago,—I had nothing—to do—but to go to parties—and dances—and attend to—my dress, and read—till—I was married.—Since that—we have had trouble.—My husband—I suppose—did not understand things—in our country—very well. He mortgaged—my house, and in a little while it was sold—and we were obliged—to leave it, and come here.”
“What did you read?” said I.
“Oh, I read novels; the most of the time—sometimes—I read other books; but—not much, except—some history, and biography.”
“Did you never read the Bible?”
“No, sir.”
“Have you got a Bible?”
“No, sir. The old lady—has got one—which she brings to me; but I am too weak—to read it. —It is a large book; and I—shall not live—long enough to read it.”
“You need not read it,” said I.—“But now suffer me to talk to you plainly. You are very sick. You may not live long. Will you give your attention to religion, as well as you can, in your weak state; and aim to get ready to die?”
“I would, sir—if I had time. But I do not—know anything—at all—about religion—and it would do me—no good—to try now, when I have—so little time—left.”
“You have time enough left.”
“Do you—think so—sir?”
“I know you have, Madam.”
She turned her eyes upon me, imploringly, and yet despondingly; and with a voice trembling with emotion, she said to me, speaking slowly and with difficulty:—
“Sir, I cannot—believe that—I have never begun—to learn religion.—I lived only for my—present enjoyment—till I was married; and since that, after—my husband—failed—all I have thought of—was to save—some little—of my property—if I could; so as not to—be a burden to other people.—And now,—there cannot—be time—enough left—for me—to begin with religion—and go—all the way through.”
“There is time enough,” said I.
Perceiving that she was already exhausted by her efforts to speak; I told her to rest for a few minutes, and I would see her again. I went into another room to see “the old lady,” (as she called her,) whom I found to be a pious Welsh woman, who had rented a part of her house to the sick woman’s husband, some months before, and who now devoted herself to take care of the poor sufferer. The tenant had squandered all his wife’s property; and now during her sickness, continued his dissipation, paying little attention to his dying wife. If he ever had a heart, rum had destroyed it.
“She is a good creature,” said the Welsh woman, “all but religion. When she was well, she was very kind to me. Though she was a lady, and had fine clothes, she was not ashamed to come and sit with me, an hour at a time, and talk to me and try to make me happy; for I am a poor, lone widow, seventy years old; and all my children are dead; and when I told her how it was with me, that I had nothing to live upon, but the rent I got for the rooms of my house; and she found out, (I did not tell her of it,) that her husband did not pay the rent any longer; she sold her rings and some of her clothes, and brought me the money, poor thing, and told me to take it. I did not know, at first, that she sold her rings and her clothes to get it; and when I asked her how she got it, and she told me, I said to her I would not have it, it would burn my fingers if I took it, and the rust of it would eat my flesh, as it were fire, and be a canker in my heart, and be a swift witness against me in the day of the great God, our Saviour. So I gave it back to her; but she would not take it: she laid it down there,”—(pointing to it with her finger,—) “on the mantlepiece,—it is five weeks yesterday,—and there it has been ever since. I cannot touch it. I never will touch it, unless I am forced to take it to buy her a coffin. Christ Jesus would not have taken the price of a lady’s rings and clothes, in such a case; and it is not for the like of me to do it. Poor thing! she will soon die, and then she will want rings and clothes no longer! Oh, sir! if I could only think she would wear robes of glory in heaven I would not weep so. But I am afraid it is all too late for her now! Religion is a hard business for a poor, sick sinner! And her husband would not go for you, week before last, nor last week. He never went till this morning, when I told him, as I was a living woman, he never should enter the house to-night,—he should sleep in the street, if he did not bring you here before the clock struck twelve. I want you to pray for her. There is no telling what God may do. May be he will send suddenly. But I cannot tell her the way. I have tried. I tried hard; but, poor thing, she said she could not understand me. And then, I could do nothing but come to my room and weep for her, and go to prayer, and then weep again. I am glad you have come. And now don’t leave her, till you have prayed and got a blessing,—if it is not too late.”
I have seldom heard eloquence surpassing that of “the old lady.” Some of her expressions were singular, but they seemed to have in them the majesty and tenderness of both nature and religion.
I borrowed the “old lady’s” Bible; and returned to the sick woman’s room. Seating myself by the side of her bed, I told her I did not wish her to talk, for it wearied her. But I wanted she should listen to me, without saying a word, only if she did not understand me, she might say so, and I would explain myself.
“Can I understand?”—said she, (with a look of mingled earnestness and despair.)
“Certainly you can. Religion is all simple and easy, if one desires to know it; and if you do not understand me, it is my fault, not yours.”
“And now, my dear child; listen to me, a little while. I will not be long. But first allow me to pray with you, for a single minute.”
After prayer, I took the Bible, and told her it was God’s word, given to us to teach us the way to eternal life and happiness beyond the grave;—that it taught all I knew, or needed to know about salvation;—that though it was a large book, and contained many things, which might be profitable to her under other circumstances; yet, all that she needed to think of just now, was embraced in a few ideas, which were easy to be understood;—and I wanted her to listen to them, and try to understand them.
“I will—sir,” said she, “as well—as I can.”
“Hear what God says then,” said I.
“The first thing is—that we are sinners.” I explained sin. I explained the Law which it transgressed, how it is holy, just and good; and we have broken it, because we have not loved the Lord our God with all our heart, and our neighbor as ourselves.
“No, I have—never loved—him,” said she.
I dwelt upon our sin, as guilt and alienation from God; explained how sinners are worldly, proud, selfish; and read the texts as proofs and explanations,—“by the deeds of the Law shall no flesh be justified—the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the Law of God.” In short, that man is, in himself, a lost sinner; God is angry with him, and he has a wicked heart.
Said she, “That seems—strange—to me; wish—I had known it—before.”
“The second thing is—that just such sinners may be saved, because Jesus Christ came to seek and to save the lost. I read from the Bible, ‘God so loved the world that he gave his own Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon him. The Lord hath laid upon him the iniquity of us all.’ You see, therefore, that sinners can be saved. Christ died for them.”
“Will he—save me?” said she.
“I hope he will—but listen to me.—The third thing is, that lost sinners will be saved by Christ, if they repent of sin and believe in him.” I continued to select texts and read them to her. “God now commandeth all men everywhere to repent. Except ye repent, ye shall all like, wise perish. As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe in his name. Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to everyone that believeth. Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow, though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”
As I read such passages, turning over the leaves of the book, as I stood by her bed-side; her eyes followed the turning leaves, and she gazed upon the book in astonishment. At times, when repeating a peculiar text, my eyes rested on her face instead of the book, and then she would ask, “Is that in God’s word?” I found it best, therefore, just to look on the book, and read slowly and deliberately.
“The fourth, thing is, that we need the aid of the Holy Spirit to renew our hearts, and bring us to faith and repentance. ‘Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. No man can come unto me, except the Father which sent me draw him. In me is thy help. Let him take hold on my strength, that he may make peace with me, and he shall make peace with me.’ Man is helpless without the Holy Spirit.
The last thing is, that all this salvation is freely offered to us now, to-day, and it is our duty and interest to accept it on the spot, and just as we are, undone sinners. ‘Hear and your soul shall live. Seek ye the Lord while he may be found. Call ye upon him while he is near. 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. If ye, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him. Behold now is the accepted time; behold now is the day of salvation. Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. The Spirit and the bride say, come; and let him that is athirst come; and let him that heareth say, come; and whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely.’
“Now, my dear child, this is all; only these five things. I will now leave you for an hour, to rest, and then I will be back to see you.”
In an hour I returned, determined to go over the same things; and explain them, if needful, more fully. As I entered the room she looked at me with a gladsome smile, and yet with an intense earnestness, which for an instant I feared was insanity. Said she, “I am so glad you have come;—I have been—thinking—of what yon read—to me. These things—must be true; but I don’t know—as I should—believe them, if they were not—in the word—of God. I understand some—of them.—I know I am—a sinner—I feel it. I never knew it—so before.—I have not loved God. I have been—wicked and foolish. I am—undone. And now—when I know it, my heart—is so bad, that instead of—loving God—it shrinks from—him,—and I am afraid—it is too late—for me!”
“Yes,” said I; “your heart is worse than you think. You can make it no better. Give it to God. Trust Christ to pardon all. He died for just such lost sinners.”
“Yes, sir,—I remember—that; but—what is it—to believe? I do not—understand that thing.—You said I must repent of sin,—and must believe—in Jesus Christ.-—I think that I understand one—of these things. To repent is to be sorry for my—sin,—and to leave it. But—what is it—to believe?—I cannot—understand that. What is believing—in Jesus Christ?”
“It is trusting him to save you. It is receiving him, as your own offered Saviour, and giving yourself to him, as a helpless sinner, to be saved by his mercy. He died to atone for sinners.”
“I believe that,—for God’s word—says so.—Is this—all the faith—that I must have?”
“No; not at all. You must have more. You must trust him. You must receive him as your own Saviour, and give yourself to him. You may remember the passage I read to you. Here it is in God’s word:—‘As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name’ You see that, here, ‘believing’ and ‘receiving’ express the same thing. You are to take Christ as God offers him to you; and you are to rely on Him to save you. That is faith.”
“Sir,—I am afraid—I can never—understand it,” said she, the tears coursing over her pale cheek.
“Yes, you can. It is very simple. There are only two things about it. Take Christ for your own, and give yourself to him to be his. Sometimes these two things are put together in the Bible, as when a happy believer says, ‘my beloved is mine, and I am his.’ It is union with Christ, as if he were your husband, and you were his bride.”
“Oh! sir,—it is all dark to me!—Faith—I cannot—understand it !”
“See here, my dear child. If you were here on this island, and it was going to sink; you would be in a sad condition, if you could not get off: There would be no hope for you, if you had no help. You would sink with the island. You could not save yourself. You might get down by the shore, and know and feel the necessity of being over on the other side, quickly, before the island should go down. But you could not get there alone. There is a wide river betwixt you and the place of safety, where you wish to go. It is so deep, that you could not wade it. It is so wide and rapid, that you could not swim it. Your case would be hopeless, if there was no help for you. You would be lost!—But there is a boat there. You see it, going back and forth, carrying people over, where they want to go. People tell you it is safe, and you have only to go on it. It seems safe to you, as you behold it in motion. You believe it is safe.—Now what do you do, in such a case? You just step on board the boat. You do not merely believe, it would save you, if you were on it; but you go on it. You commit yourself to it. When you get on; you do not work, or walk, or run, or ride. You do nothing, but one. You take care not to falloff. That is all. You just trust to the boat, to hold you up from sinking, and to carry you over, where you want to go. Just so, trust yourself to Jesus Christ to save you. He will carry you to heaven. Venture on him now He waits to take you.”
“But—will he save—such—a wicked—undone creature—as I am?”
“Yes; he will. He says he will. He came from heaven to do it; ‘to seek and to save that which was lost.’ He invites you to come to him. I read it to you in his word; ‘come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’”
“May I go?” says she, (her countenance indicating the most intense thought; and her eyes, suffused with tears of gladness and doubt, fixing upon me, as if she would read her doom from my lips.)
“Yes, you may go to Christ. Come in welcome. Come now. Come just such a sinner as you are. Christ loves to save such sinners.”
She raised herself upon her couch, and leaning upon her elbow, with her dark locks falling over the snowy whiteness of her neck, her brow knit, her lips compressed, her fine eyes fixed upon me, and her bosom heaving with emotion,—she paused for a moment,—said she:—
“I do want—to come to Christ.”
“He wants you to come,” said I.
“Will he—take-me?” said she.
“Yes, he will; he says he will,” said I.
“I am wicked—and do not—deserve it,” said she.
“He knows that; and died to save you,” said I.
“Oh, I think—I would come, if God,—if the Holy Spirit—would help—me. But—my heart is afraid. I thought,—just now; if I only knew—the way, I would do it. But now, when—you have told me; I cannot believe it. I cannot, trust Christ. I never—knew before; what—a distant heart I have!”
“The Holy Spirit does help you. At this moment in your heart, he urges you to come, to trust Christ. The Bible tells you to come. ‘The Spirit and the bride say, come.’ God lengthens the hours of your life, that you may come; while he says to you, ‘Behold now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation.’”
I paused for a little time; and as I watched her countenance, she appeared to be absorbed in the most intense thought. Her brow was slightly knit—her lips quivered—her fine eyes roamed from side to side, and often upwards; and then, closed, for a moment. And seeming utterly forgetful of my presence, she slowly pronounced the words, with a pause almost at every syllable;—“lost sinner—anger—God—Christ—blood —love—pardon—heaven—help—Bible—now—come.” And then, turning her eyes upon me, she said:
“I do want—to come—to Christ—and rest on him.—If my God—will accept—such—a vile sinner—I give myself—to him—forever!—oh!—he will—accept me—by Christ—who died!—Lord save me—I lie on thee—to save me.”
She sunk back upon her bed, with her eyes lifted to heaven, and her hands raised in the attitude of prayer; while her countenance indicated amazement.
I knelt by her bed, uttered a short prayer, and left her, to return at sunset.
As I returned, the old Welsh woman met me at the door, her eyes bathed in tears, and her hands lifted to the heavens. I supposed she was going to tell me that the sick woman was dead; but, with uplifted hands, she exclaimed, “Blessed be God! blessed be God ! The poor thing is happy now; she is so happy! Thank God! she is so happy! She looks like an angel now! She has seen Christ, her Lord; and she will be an angel soon! Now I can let her die! I can’t stop weeping! She has been a dear creature to me! But it makes my heart weep for joy now, when I see what God has done for her, and how happy she is.”
She conducted me to her sick friend’s room. As I entered, the dying woman lifted her eyes upon me, with a smile:—
“The Lord—has made me happy!—I am very happy. I was afraid—my wicked heart never would—love God. But, he has—led me to it. Christ—is very dear—to me. I can—lean on him now. I—can die—in peace.”
I conversed with her for some minutes, the “old lady” standing at my elbow, in tears. She was calm and full of peace. She said, “All you told me—was true; my heart finds it true.—How good—is Jesus, to save such sinners!—I was afraid—to fall upon him; but I know now—that believing is all. My heart—is different. I do love God. Jesus Christ is very dear—to me.”
She appeared to be fast sinking. I prayed with her, and left her. The next day she died. I visited her before her death. She was at peace. She could say but little; but some of her expressions were remarkable. She desired to be bolstered up in her bed, that she might “be able to speak once more.” She seemed to rally her strength; and speaking with the utmost difficulty, the death—gurgle in her throat, and the tears coursing down her pale, and still beautiful cheek, she said:—
“I wonder—at God.—Never was there such love.—He is all goodness.—I want—to praise—him.—My soul—loves him. I delight—to be his.—He—has forgiven me—a poor sinner—and now—his love exhausts me.—The Holy Spirit helped me—or my heart—would have held—in its own—goodness—in its unbelief.—God has heard me.—He has come—to me,—and now—I live—on prayer.—Pardon me—sir,—I forgot—to thank you—I was—so carried off—in thinking of my God.—He will—reward you—for coming to see me.—I am going—to him—soon—I hope.—Dying will be sweet—to me—for Christ—is with me.”
I said a few words to her, prayed with her, and left her. As I took her hand, at that last farewell she cast upon me a beseeching look, full of tenderness and delight, saying to me: “May hope— you—will always—go to see—dying sinners?”—It was impossible for me to answer audibly she answered for me;—“I know—you will—farewell.”
She continued to enjoy entire composure of mind till the last moment. Almost her last words to the “old lady” were, “My delight is—that God—is king—over all, and saves sinners—by Jesus Christ.”
I called at the house after she was dead, and proposed to the “old lady” that I would procure a sexton, and be at the expense of her funeral; lifting both her hands towards the heavens, she exclaimed,—“No, sir! indeed; no, sir! You wrong my heart to think of it! God sent you here at my call; and the poor thing has died in peace. My old heart would turn against me, if I should allow you to bury her! the midnight thought would torment me! She has been a dear creature to me, and died such a sweet death. I shall make her shroud with my own hands; I shall take her ring-money to buy her coffin; I shall pay for her grave; and then, as I believe her dear spirit has become a ministering angel, I shall hope she will come to me in the nights, and carry my prayer back to her Lord.”
She had it all in her own way; and we buried her with a tenderness of grief, which I am sure has seldom been equalled.
Salem Massachusetts 2015
A Biology student at Bloomsburg University
A UConn student uses the time of preaching the Gospel to proclaim his opposition to what God has declared as holy and undefiled.
Our Salem 2015 preaching tour started at the Philadelphia outfest gay-pride festival. From Pa, I traveled with my friend John Beeton to preach at some more local colleges, James Madison, George Mason, and George Washington University. we also spent a Saturday preaching outside the Whitehouse.
My good friend Bobby Mcreery arrived in Philadelphia on Wednesday, and so we preached in and around Pa. redeeming the time, preaching the gospel and praying that God would save souls. We preached at Lockhaven University, Bloomsburg University, and at Princeton University outside the Tiger Inn mealhouse (after hours). Sadly at the tiger Inn, a macho-types bouncer kicked my amplifier and broke it, but when the police were called by some Princeton students, his bravado disappeared, he denied his what he had been so proud of earlier, and he blamed a Princeton student for breaking the amp. No fear of God for him, but the fear of police cowered him. But God knows, and he knows what the truth is. We also spent a day preaching in downtown Newark N.J. at the corner of Broad and Market St. This is my favorite place to preach. There are no rich men here, only broken, poor, distressed men and women, many enslaved to sin, addicted to drugs or alcohol, drug dealers, Black Hebrew Israelites, Nation of Islam, Black Muslims, and so many lost, like sheep without a shepherd. We were humbled and privileged to tell them about The Good Shepherd, who laid down His life for His sheep, and then overcame death, so that they might be set free and overcome sin. Leaving NJ Sunday night we traveled to Connecticut, so that we could preach at UConn Monday.
John Beeton drove up to preach with us and he would remain until after Salem. Monday night we drove to Danvers Massachusetts, where our host, pastor Stephen Brock had arranged for us to stay the week. An interesting situation developed while staying in Danvers. Salem has marketed and profited from the witch trials and the execution of 19 men and women. History reveals that this is all marketing propaganda, for the witch trials and executions took place in a nearby town called Salem City in the 17th century. Salem City has been renamed – Danvers. And where we resided in Danvers is adjacent to a granite memorial to the 19 men and women who were determined to be guilty of witchcraft and executed, painfully. At the Danvers memorial there was no party, no reveling, no capitalistic endeavors, just a granite memorial.
. While staying in Danvers, we preached at UMass Boston, UMass Lowell, and Boston Commons. UMass Boston usually has a large turnout of students wanting to voice their opinions. Earlier this semester we preached there and the crowd was big, and loud. This time there was a concerted effort to ignore the preaching, and one student while distributing rainbow stickers, did his best to usher the other students away from our location. There were still some who sat and listened, some took Gospel literature, and there were many one to one conversations. Pastor Brock preached for the first time at a college. He preached with authority, shared his testimony with tears, and made a passionate appeal that the students be reconciled to God. Later in the day a crowd developed and a few young women proudly defended planned parenthood, even claiming the recent videos seen nationwide were untrue. When the topic being preached moved to abortion, another young woman wept and sobbed. She heard that day how sins are forgiven and what the high cost of sin is; even the blood of God’s precious Son. She heard there was grace freely given to those who own their sin and take their sins to Jesus Christ, laying them upon Him, in repentance and faith. While she sobbed and was defended and comforted by her peers, I looked across the plaza and saw another young woman in a conversation with Pastor Brock. She also was weeping. He later said she was deeply convicted of sin and asking for forgiveness. He ministered to her and she made a profession of faith. We later prayed for her, that her’s was a Godly sorrow for her sin that would lead to repentance, and not just the worldly sorrow leading to death. At UMass Lowell, a crowd gathered quickly, but as time passed a young man was able to lead all of the students away, reminiscent of the pied piper. Before long many students returned, and it appeared that a class had been sent out to take notes. John answered questions from about 20 students, who with their notepads and pens were asking questions, even raising their hand to get his attention. This is a very rare and infrequent occurrence at universities, and we have no way of knowing the motives involved, but the truth was shared in love. As the afternoon wore on, the weather got rainy and some young men showed up to drown out the preaching with a snare drum, a trumpet, and a saxophone. They also brought out a large Communist Russia flag with hammer and sickle and paraded it around the center of campus. We left them playing in the rain.
Thursday we went with the Pastor, his son and some visiting Christian men to Boston Commons. While near the courthouse we encountered a protest rally, with approximately 50 men and women protesting the shooting of deer in their neighborhood, and recommending birth control for deer vice shot guns. We upbraided the crowd for being concerned for the killing of deer yet silent on the issue of abortion and the killing of 4,000 unborn babies daily. It was also ironic that they protested the right of a citizen to choose to hunt deer, yet would champion the choice of a mom, to destroy her son or daughter. While Bobby was preaching, he was attacked by a young deer-saver. Bobby’s glasses were knocked into the street, and by God’s grace this happened just as the stoplight changed, and the glasses were recovered without damage. The young man who made the attack was rebuked by his fellow deer-savers, and his protest signs were taken away. The leaders of the protest were upset, and asked us to go elsewhere. They were relieved when I said we would finish then leave, and the woman in charge thanked me when I kept my word and left after 5 minutes more of preaching. Later that day Bobby had an extended conversation with the male leader of the protest. He was a middle aged Caucasian with a small pony tail, who had a Buddhist-like world view. After some conversation he acknowledged his thoughts on the sanctity of life was inconsistent in that he championed the cause for all sorts of life except unborn babies. We hope he will ponder this in his heart, although we know that until he understands the sin issue, and comes to seek the living God, it remains abstract philosophy. We finished the day preaching in Boston, and returned to Danvers, where Mike Stockwell was waiting for us.
Friday and Saturday were set apart for preaching in Salem. The weather was perfect and the crowd were estimated to be the biggest ever. The crowd response to preaching in Salem during Halloween season is that similar to the crowd response when the first Christian Martyr, Stephen, finished his sermon. The party area in Salem is huge, and you would think that there is ample room for those that deny God or hate God, to pass by, eat, drink, and be merry, knowing that tomorrow they might die. But an irrational hatred comes upon many, so that they are drawn to and can’t leave the preaching.
We do not set up near the center of festivities, but find a spot somewhere that we can be heard. Thousands heard the Gospel in those two days. In addition to the professing atheists, many gather espousing a message contrary to all that is revealed in the Bible. Unconditional love, license to sin, discounting the truth of the Bible is their message and most of these make claims of loving God or identify themselves as Christians. They would deny truth, judgment, and hell and judge anyone who differed with their message as judgmental and narrow-minded. They redefine tolerance, to mean acceptance, and even approving or applauding any type of behavior. In reality they demonstrate their intolerance, for all Christians who hold to Biblical truths, although the Bible commands all Christians to love neighbors and enemies. Christians may disagree, yet in love we tolerate, our weapons are not carnal in nature but spiritual. It is the Gospel which is the power of God unto salvation for those who believe. It is a bizarre sight to see men preaching from the Bible and many railing and ranting their disapproval, often while they are wearing strange costumes, making lewd and obscene gestures, the pagans and wicca also trying to demonstrate some power over men filled with the Spirit of God.
A professing witch was disgusted with my ignorance of her talent psychometry. . Had we exchanged a handshake, she would have left the question unasked.
Repentance and remission for sins was preached, Jesus Christ crucified and resurrected was boldly proclaimed, and all men were called to repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. I believe if the behavior of those partying was objectively reviewed, it would be seen as abject depravity, on a public street, in a mixed crowd including children. But except by the grace of God, I may have been amongst them.
Oh now let us pray that God would open their eyes that they may turn from the darkness to light and from the power of satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share among those who are sanctified by faith in Jesus Christ. Sunday we worshipped with the brethren atPastor Brock’s church, True Gospel Baptist Church, and by Sunday night we were back in NJ, so that Bobby could fly home from Philadelphia the next day. I thank God for all He provided on this mission. I thank God for all the saints who love Jesus, and desire that His name would be made great, even in a culture such as ours. I thank God that He would use earthen vessels to bring the message of salvation to those who may despise it. I thank God that He alone can save a soul, and He sends us to preach, but salvation is of the Lord, and He gives His glory to none other. I thank God that salvation is offered freely and that there is no partiality with God. All thanks to God, for I obtained help that comes from God, so that I can stand and testify to both small and great, saying nothing else than what the prophets and Moses said would take place– that the Messiah must suffer and that as the first to rise from the dead, He would proclaim light to the Jews and the Gentiles.
UConn
UConn
UConn
Lockhaven University Pa.
UMass Lowell
UMass Lowell
UMass Lowell
UMass Lowell
UMass Lowell
Salem M<ass- Danvers Mass home of witch trials and executions
UMass Lowell
UMass Lowell
UMass Lowell
UMass Lowell
Boston Commons
Leaving Boston at night
Boston
Boston Commons
UMass Lowell
Bloomsburg University Pa.
Bloomsburg University Pa.
Whitehouse
Bloomsburg University Pa.
Delaware County CC Pa.
Bloomsburg University Pa.
Delaware County CC Pa.
Bloomsburg University Pa.
Bloomsburg University Pa.
Boston Commons
Boston deer protest
Boston deer protest
Boston commons
Boston Commons
UMass Lowell
preaching in downtown Newark NJ
UIMass Boston
UMass Boston
Lockhaven University
UMass Boston
Umass Lowell
Preaching at Philadelphia out-fest
outside Whitehouse
Black Hebrew Israelites Newark NJ
Muslim in Newark NJ asking about Deity of Jesus
Newark NJ. Broad and Market ST.
preaching downtown Newark NJ
Preaching downtown Newark NJ
Preaching downtown Newark NJ
preaching downtown Newark NJ
preaching downtown Newark NJ
preaching at Princeton meal house, the Tiger Inn
preaching at UConn
preaching at UConn
preaching at UConn
preaching at UConn
preaching at UConn
Preaching Salem Mass Halloween
Preaching Salem Mass Oct 31
Preaching Salem Mass Oct 31
Preaching Salem Mass Oct 31
Preaching Salem Mass Oct 31
Preaching Salem Mass Oct 31
Preaching Salem Mass Oct 31
Preaching Salem Mass Oct 31
Preaching Salem Mass Oct 31
Preaching Salem Mass Oct 31
Preaching Salem Mass Oct 31
Preaching Salem Mass Oct 31
Preaching Salem Mass Oct 31
Preaching Salem Mass Oct 31
Preaching Salem Mass Oct 31
Preaching Salem Mass Oct 31
Preaching Salem Mass Oct 31
Preaching Salem Mass Oct 31
Preaching Salem Mass Oct 31
VCU
Preaching Salem Mass Oct 31
Preaching Salem Mass Oct 31
Fall 2015 campus preaching
After a time spent at home visiting with my family, my dear chidren and grandchildren, and spending some precious time 
with my church, Poquoson Baptist Church, we began sharing the Gospel this Fall with great favour from God, in that we were able to go onto a local campus in Newport News Va., Christopher Newport University for the 1st time in about 6 years. For an unknown reason the Campus officials notified by E mail all students and staff that a preacher would be on campus the following day. As we arrived there were several hundred students waiting to hear/see a preacher. It was an incredible thing to open my Bible and commence sharing the word of God to a ready crowd. for several moments there was a silence that allowed for a nice introduction to the way of salvation. Within moments though many students expressed their opinions, many opposed to the very idea that God created them and their accountability to Him, and their dire need of the reconciliation He can provide through Jesus Christ. We hope this was a start of many more visits here, God willing. Next we met in Providence R.I. and stayed with a dear brother and his wife. We preached each day at Brown University, where the school motto is still on the wall where we preach, ” en Deo esperamos” in God we hope. Brown is also the college where Adoniram Judson attended before he became a missionary to Burma at the age of 25, and ministered for almost 40 years. Interestingly, Brown also is a college where the students have changed the school policy so that there are no more grades by which the students could be compared to a standard. Now, they receive a pass or a not-complete, so all there can be well pleased with their standing. We also preached at UMass Boston campus, URI, and UConn. As the first week passed we spent a day preaching to the huge crowds in NYC who were waiting for the roman catholic pope. Only time will tell whether this pope is looked back on as one of the many “anti-popes” according to Rome, or one of the many “anti-christs”, the Apostle John warns of. A wolf in sheep’s clothing to be sure. We also preached to a much different crowd in Newark N.J. where poverty, drugs, and unemployment have caused many to listen to the teaching of the Black muslims, Black Hebrew Israelites, and the nation of islam leaders. Sadly these cults have no hope, love, or salvation, but are founded on racism, legalism, and domination. On Saturday night we preached at the Princeton University frat/meal houses, where hundreds of students indulge in excessive alcohol and promiscuous behavior. Sadly many profess to love Jesus, and justify how they behave as normal for college. we then traveled a bit, preaching each day at, SUNY college of Albany, Purchase, UMass Amherst, Temple U and UPenn in Philadelphia. We were able also to preach on the sidewalk outside the abortion mill in Englewood N.J., where they maintain an 8 foot buffer zone despite the Supreme Court ruling against buffer zones earlier this year. I give thanks to God daily for the brethren who preach, those who provide shelter, and those who keep us in prayer. God provides the means and the power by which His people are saved. The preachers were Scot Smith, Robert Gray, Mike Stockwell, Sye Ten Bruggencate, Robert Parker, Don Harmon, Dale Mcalpine, Jim Hamilton. We were also given great hospitality by The Costa family, The May family, The Marcavage family, The Egloffs, and the Admas’,
