Hell's Best Kept Secret Method method of evangelism and the Bible

Because this is a public forum, and not a private chat.I wasn't joking, and I didn't say a word about "the Charismatic movement".There's nothing the least bit preposterous about what I actually said. Salvation is a gift (charisma), and therefore every Christian who has received this gift is "charismatic".Yes, the gifts are a part of that package, but whether or not one has the gift of healing, we should still be preaching healing (which you said you don't do) because Christ and the Apostles preached the same, and they are our examples.

So you believe that the extraordinary gifts, demonstrated in the early church age are still ongoing? Therefore, you are not a "Cessationist" in your theology. The extraordinary gifts, such as the ability to speak a language you do not know, working of miracles, receiving of new prophecies are no longer being done today by believers. These ended when the Holy Scriptures were complete.

They're still being performed by believers today. It's only self-professed unbelievers like yourself who have seen a cessation of the same.

Anyway, I'm not going to argue with you. In just these couple of exchanges here, I've learned enough about your misguided theology already.

Have a great day.

This was written to Christians.

Agree.
The Ten Commandments present the problem (sin and consequence) and the Gospel presents the solution (receiving Christ's Atonement.)



I believe that the purpose of these miracles was to, once and for all, evidence His deity. It did, of course also display His loving nature as well. In the end, it is by Faith that the just shall live.



I think a good place to start might be with what Jesus did for us on the Cross. For me that really emphasizes the desperate and depraved state we must be in. For Jesus to come from Heaven to Earth to Cross! That should clue anybody in that something is really, really wrong and needs fixing in a big way. It also emphasizes his great love for all mankind.

Thanks for your post. God bless.

I do not mean to hijack this post, but I have tried multiple times to make a post and they never went through. I have a true issue and for some reason I am not allowed to ask it. I came here to seek biblical advice and am being shut out.

Back in the 1990's, I came across Ray Comfort's website on the relatively new world wide web. I corresponded with him a bit. He had a book "Hell's Best Kept Secret."

Nowaydays, he has quite a media ministry showing his street witnessing, and he works with former teen TV star Kirk Cameron. I appreciate their desire to share their faith on the street, and I am not opposed necessarily to how they do things.

There are some areas where I probably would not agree. I believe an evangelistic encounter where the individual is ready should ideally end with water baptism and the doctrine around it should be explained a bit. I have also heard Ray Comfort quote a verse about entering into the kingdom of heaven and conclude it has something to do with 'going to heaven.' The Biblical focus is on the resurrection. The Bible talks about a new earth, and the emphasis on 'going to heaven' when you die is loosely inferred from scripture and relies heavily on tradition.

I am not opposed to using the Ten Commandments to show people that they are sinners, and I have done a bit of that. I do not agree with those who seem to think this particular methodology is __the__ Gospel. I look at the way the Gospel was preached in Acts, I don't see the elaborate focus on convicting audiences of sin, not emphasized the same way Ray Comfort does. In Acts 2, Peter does charge his audience with crucifying the prince of life. I don't see the heavy emphasis on making the audience feel guilty about sin in Paul's evangelistic messages either. Paul does teach in his epistles that by the law comes the knowledge of sin. He lays out the case for all being sinners in Romans.

I am not against going into detail on any aspect of the Gospel, and it may be very appropriate for many listeners. But the idea that you have to really focus on convincing the audience of just how sinful they are, or use the 10-commandment method to present the Gospel is not something I agree with.

Also, the idea that Jesus' encounter with the rich young ruler was about exposing his pride in his heart and his trusting in his own righteousness, while it certainly aligns with certain streams of Protestant thought, doesn't seem to be an obvious interpretation of the passage that a first century reader would have held to. Using a template to argue for using the law to expose sin as a template for the 'way of the Master' seems a bit like exegesis.

I notice one of the ways of the Master in scripture was to heal and do miracles, then people believed. The Master also told a woman by a well in Samaria about her marital past. There are a lot of 'way of the Master' things that don't fall into this ten-commandment method.

I am not opposed to Ray Comfort, or using the ten commandments in evangelism. I don't think doing so is heretical But I have encountered people who think this is __the__ way to do things.

I do appreciate his pointing out some of the problems that evolved into evangelicalism where it came to the point where people equated repeating a prayer with 'getting saved', no matter whether there is repentance or faith or not. Another problem I haven't seen him emphasize which I think is bigger, is having people repeating prayers without preaching the Gospel first-- no explanation of Who God is, Who Jesus is, What Christ means, what sin is, no mention of Christ dying for their sins.... and if all that is mentioned, no mention of the resurrection. Then....repeat this prayer and you are saved.... and no water baptism. It doesn't seem to fit what I read in Acts or the epistles.

Also, the Biblical root of confession got stripped from the prayer. Originally, the 'repeat this prayer' thing in Billy Graham after-meeting evangelistic sessions was a means of getting people to confess that they were sinners, and their faith that Jesus is God's Son, the Christ, and that He died for our sins and God raised him from the dead. (I am not sure which points of the kergyma were emphasized.) But so often, the prayer is stripped of the Biblical doctrinal points of confession. The audience is told something like,

"Religion is bad. You need a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. If you believed what you have heard today, repeat this prayer.....(prayer without much kergyma content in it)....if you believed that, you are saved.

Are you saying you can't post threads?

Yes, they keep blocking a serious new age topic.

Yes, they keep blocking a serious new age topic.

Then you should assume "they" don't want it talked about. Try posing the question in biblical terms.

Yes, they keep blocking a serious new age topic.

And if the Holy SPirit isn't there to CONVICT THE PERSON OF SIN, And of judgement, none of the "Theology" means SPIT.

No. This was written to the world (even though addressed to the Roman Christians). And if you have failed to see the necessity of showing this to the world of sinners, then you need to sit down and take a close look at some of the preaching from the past. Here is a sample from Spurgeon: "...and above all, I beg you, if there be reason or sense in what I have said, bethink yourselves of what you are, and may the Blessed Spirit reveal to you your state! May he show you that you are dead, that you are lost, ruined. May he make you feel what a dreadful thing it would be to sink into hell! May he point you to heaven! May he take you as the angel did of old, and put his hand upon you, and say, "Flee! flee! flee! Look to the mountain; look not behind thee; stay not in all the plain."

Why did you deflect from the point I was making?
Did or did you not put words in the mouth of the Savior He did not say? If YES, you need to repent of it. If NO, then give the chapter and verse, please.

No I do not have a truncated Gospel. While God has graciously healed me, through prayer, of several physical problems. I never lose sight that this was done because God's will towards me, was to grant my request on these occasions. His will could have been in the opposite direction; much like the Apostle Paul, who having gone three times before the Lord, did not find it the will of God, to relieve him of his thorn.

I do not "preach" healing because I am not Charismatic.

You can't show me one picture of Jesus dealing with people a even good Spurgeon dealt with people, I mean unbelievers.

Actually Jesus preached on Hell more than any of the apostles. So let's take one passage of Scripture (Mark 9:42-48) and see what Jesus had to say:

42 And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.

43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell [GEHENNA] , into the fire that never shall be quenched:

44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

45 And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell [GEHENNA], into the fire that never shall be quenched:

46 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

47And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell [GEHENNA] fire:

48 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

So you believe that the extraordinary gifts, demonstrated in the early church age are still ongoing? Therefore, you are not a "Cessationist" in your theology. The extraordinary gifts, such as the ability to speak a language you do not know, working of miracles, receiving of new prophecies are no longer being done today by believers. These ended when the Holy Scriptures were complete.

Show me where He confronted the Magdalene with her awful sins, or any of the disciples, show me where He made them go through the process of repentance, confession that evangelicals insist upon. It is just not there, nor is it there in Pauls public ministry in Acts.